What is a Design Engineer? (And How to Become One)
Published: 8/5/2025
“So… are you a designer or a developer?”
I’ve been asked this question more times than I can count.
And honestly? The answer is neither — and both.
I’m a design engineer — someone who lives in that fuzzy, beautiful space between design and development. We bring ideas to life, polish the rough edges, obsess over interactions, and make sure the product not only works… but feels right.
If you’ve ever spent more time tweaking a button animation than writing the feature behind it, you might already be thinking like a design engineer.
Let me explain what this role really means — and how you can grow into it.
What Is a Design Engineer (and What Do They Actually Do)?
Design engineers bridge the gap between design and engineering.
We speak both Figma and code. We care about the small details and the big picture.
Beyond understanding both worlds, design engineers help turn ideas into polished, functional interfaces.
On a typical day, they might:
- Build UI components from Figma files
- Improve design systems and component libraries
- Write scalable, token-based CSS/JS
- Add motion with tools like Framer Motion or GSAP
- Ensure accessibility and responsiveness
- Collaborate with designers to prototype faster
- Review PRs with a strong eye for polish and UX
Think of them as the frontlines of quality — where design fidelity meets frontend performance.
What Makes a Good Design Engineer?
You don’t need a special job title to become one. It’s more about the way you think and the kind of work you’re drawn to.
Here’s what usually defines a good design engineer:
Solid Technical Foundations
- Strong HTML and CSS fundamentals
- JavaScript or TypeScript proficiency
- Experience with a frontend framework (like React)
- Familiarity with component libraries and tools like Storybook
- Understanding of accessibility principles and performance basics
Design Fluency
- Comfortable navigating design tools like Figma
- Understands layout, spacing, color systems, and typography
- Can interpret design intent — even when it’s not fully defined
Collaboration Skills
- Communicates well with designers and engineers alike
- Gives thoughtful feedback during design and code reviews
- Thinks in patterns and systems, not just one-off screens
A Certain Mindset
- Cares deeply about user experience
- Notices the small things others might miss
- Balances creativity with consistency and structure
My Path to Design Engineering
I didn’t always call myself a design engineer. I started like many frontend developers
But over time, I realized I was:
- Thinking about how reusable a component was across the product
- Making small visual tweaks that weren’t “required,” but improved the feel
- Writing utility classes and tokens to keep styles consistent
- Asking questions like, “Should this be a global pattern?”
That’s when it clicked. I wasn’t just building features. I was shaping the experience.
That shift in mindset is what design engineering is all about.
So... Can You Call Yourself a Design Engineer?
Absolutely — if you’re already thinking this way, you're on the path.
You don’t need a specific job title.
You just need to care — about how things look, feel, and function together.
Design engineers take pride in the details. They help teams ship faster without sacrificing quality. They’re the ones making sure design systems don’t just exist — but actually work.
If that sounds like you, you’re already closer than you think.
Resources to Get You Started (Free & High-Quality)
Web Fundamentals
- HTML Basics – MDN - Learn the structure of web pages
- CSS Layout – Flexbox & Grid - Master Flexbox and Grid to build modern, responsive layouts.
- JavaScript - Understand core JavaScript concepts
- Frontend Developer Roadmap – Visual guide to frontend skills
React & Component Skills
- React Official Docs – Beginner to advanced, explained clearly
- Learn React with Scrimba – Interactive video tutorials
- Component-Driven Development with Storybook – Learn to build UIs in isolation
Accessibility (a11y)
- WebAIM WCAG Checklist – Beginner-friendly version of WCAG
- Accessible Components – WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices
- Google Lighthouse – Built-in accessibility audits in Chrome
Animation & Interaction
- Framer Motion Documentation – The go-to React animation library
- GSAP Getting Started – Powerful animations for any JS project
- Web Animation Basics – Google Devs – Covers CSS + JS animation concepts
Design
- Build a UI in Figma – Free Course – Covers layout, spacing, color, typography
- Design Systems Handbook (Free) - Understand how teams build, scale, and maintain design systems in real-world products.
- Refactoringui - Free Blog Posts on Design
Final Thoughts
Design engineering is about the space between. Between pixels and code. Between speed and quality. Between structure and creativity.
It's not about being a perfect designer or a 10x developer.
It’s about caring. About building thoughtful, well-crafted interfaces that people enjoy using.
If you're already thinking that way — welcome. You're one of us.
🤔 This cleared things up?
If it helped you understand the role better, that means the job’s halfway done. Feel free to pass it along to someone exploring this path.