Establishing HCD Career Paths at Tria Federal
Overview
I had the opportunity to work closely with the Human Centered Design Practice Director to create an HCD career path structure that gave our team greater clarity, flexibility, and opportunity in their professional growth.
When we began, our craft segments were limited to Research and Design, and our career level structure was limited to Researcher and Designer. This didn’t fully capture the range of skills and expertise within our discipline, so we expanded the structure to five defined crafts areas: Research, Strategy, UX, Interaction, and Visual Design. This shift allowed teammates to see their unique strengths and contributions represented more clearly.
We designed two distinct career track paths: a managerial path for those interested in leading people and teams, and a craft path for those who wanted to deepen their expertise, grow as specialists, and serve as trusted consultants.
To support these paths, we built frameworks for each craft of defined expectations across every level, covering core competencies, technical skills, and managerial skills (if applicable).
This framework not only clarified what success looks like at each stage but also created transparency around how to advance to the next level. It became the foundation for end-of-year performance reviews, ensuring a more consistent and equitable evaluation process.
Using these frameworks, we also developed tailored job descriptions for our website and LinkedIn to attract and engage the right talent for these career paths.
Outcomes
Clarity: teammates had a better understanding of where they fit and how they could grow.
Direction: expectations for both current and future roles were easier to navigate.
Opportunity: individuals felt more empowered, seeing multiple paths for advancement rather than a single track.
Engagement: the structure helped people feel recognized for their craft, and more invested in their long-term careers with us.
Increase in pay: while my director and I did not have control over this aspect, we worked with the Chief Operations Officer to ensure each level would be compensated fairly with appropriate increases per level.
Overall, this work not only strengthened the design discipline but also created a culture where growth feels attainable and supported, no matter which path someone chooses.