Design Archetypes
A lightweight framework (developed during the Design Leadership Summit) for how you show up on a team—IC, manager, or in-between.
Not a personality test. Just practical patterns you can use—and talk about.
Lead like yourself.
Build like a team.
The DLS Archetypes turn fuzzy leadership talk into practical patterns you can use to ship better work, develop your people, and navigate change.
Find my Archetype
~10 minutes. Best done in one sitting.
Do this before the social so we can prep your snapshot
~10 minutes. Best done in one sitting.
Do this before the social so we can prep your snapshot
Design Archetypes
A lightweight framework (developed during the Design Leadership Summit) for how you show up on a team—IC, manager, or in-between.
Not a personality test. Just practical patterns you can use—and talk about.
Lead like yourself.
Build like a team.
The DLS Archetypes turn fuzzy leadership talk into practical patterns you can use to ship better work, develop your people, and navigate change.
Find my Archetype
~10 minutes. Best done in one sitting.
Do this before the social so we can prep your snapshot
~10 minutes. Best done in one sitting.
Do this before the social so we can prep your snapshot
Your patterns under
pressure are
predictable.
This is a snapshot of your default operating mode at work—how you make progress under pressure and ambiguity. The goal isn’t to box you in; it’s to name your strengths and close blind spots by practicing the other modes.
Know your edge
Identify your leadership moves under pressure, the patterns that make you effective and the blind spots that trip you up.
Find Your Complement
Discover which archetypes naturally balance your weaknesses. Stop flying blind on partnerships that actually work.
Ship Smarter
Use your archetype at work: pair intentionally, map your team's gaps, and turn friction into productive tension.
Find my Archetype
Your patterns under pressure are
Your patterns under
pressure are
predictable.
This is a snapshot of your default operating mode at work—how you make progress under pressure and ambiguity. The goal isn’t to box you in; it’s to name your strengths and close blind spots by practicing the other modes. It’s a quick read—meant to spark good conversations, not define you.
Know your edge
Identify your default moves under pressure, the patterns that make you effective and the blind spots that trip you up.
Find Your Complement
Discover which archetypes naturally balance your weaknesses. Stop flying blind on team that actually work.
Ship Smarter
Use it as a conversation starter, then pair intentionally and grow the other modes over time.
Find my Archetype
You’ll receive a quick snapshot at the event.
The archetypes
A framework that describes how people tend to create impact on teams—across ICs and leaders.
Anchor
Ally
Architect
Cultivator
Pathfinder
STABILITY · CLARITY · STANDARDS
Anchor
Holds the line so principles and quality endure under pressure.
Anchor
Grounded
Superpowers
Sets crisp bars for craft, accessibility, and risk
Makes ambiguous decisions legible
Calms chaos; steers to the plan
Watch-outs
Can slow bets with over-policing standards
Defaults to “No” when signal is thin
Growth Moves
Experiment fast with sandboxes and guardrails
Co-create standards with product/eng to speed, not stall
In the crunch: Define the MVP quality line, kill rework, keep recovery visible.
Anchor
Ally
Architect
Cultivator
Pathfinder
STABILITY · CLARITY · STANDARDS
Anchor
Grounds the org in quality, reliability, and decision clarity.
Anchor
Grounded
Superpowers
Sets crisp bars for craft, accessibility, and risk
Makes ambiguous decisions legible
Calms chaos; steers to the plan
Watch-outs
Can slow bets with over-policing standards
Defaults to “No” when signal is thin
Growth Moves
Experiment fast with sandboxes and guardrails
Co-create standards with product/eng to speed, not stall
In the crunch: Define the MVP quality line, kill rework, keep recovery visible.
Anchor
Ally
Architect
Cultivator
Pathfinder
STABILITY · CLARITY · STANDARDS
Anchor
Holds the line so principles and quality endure under pressure.
Anchor
Grounded
Superpowers
Sets crisp bars for craft, accessibility, and risk
Makes ambiguous decisions legible
Calms chaos; steers to the plan
Watch-outs
Can slow bets with over-policing standards
Defaults to “No” when signal is thin
Growth Moves
Experiment fast with sandboxes and guardrails
Co-create standards with product/eng to speed, not stall
In the crunch: Define the MVP quality line, kill rework, keep recovery visible.
How it works
Take the Quiz
Answer realistic team scenarios. No personality fluff—just how you operate when it matters.
01
Get your Archetype
See your superpowers, watch-outs, growth moves, and which archetype naturally fills your gaps.
02
Take Action
Use your result at the Holiday Social as a conversation starter—and as a simple growth lens for 2026.
03
Find my Archetype
Stability
Clarity
Anchor
Alignment
Influence
Ally
Systems
Orchestration
Architect
People
Culture
Cultivator
Exploration
Vision
Pathfinder