What kind of designer are you or want to become?

A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.

As the design landscape continues to shift, this quote becomes more and more important, challenging traditional notions of specializations and opening the door for a variety of journeys for designers.

In the world of AI where algorithms can analyze data with pinpoint precision and mimic creative intuition, specialized jobs become easily automated.

At the same time, the growth of AI gives generalists a space to grow. Numerous studies have shown that the most innovative ideas come from merging knowledge from seemingly unrelated domains. And only generalists can make those innovative connections.

David Epstein, author of Range: How generalists triumph in a specialized world puts it together perfectly:

There are many layers to thinking; we humans suck at individual layers; but we combine them to be more adaptive.

Our greatest strength is the exact opposite of narrow specialization. It's the ability to integrate broadly.

However, a generalist lacks the in-depth knowledge of any one field necessary to act on those insights and implement solutions as precisely as a specialist would.

Navigating the spectrum

Specialists are experts in their field. Their thorough understanding has been made possible by extensive learning and training through repetition. This is why they can ask for higher pay and climb the career ladder faster. At the same time, because of the narrow range of skills, specialists struggle to pivot through opportunities when they arise. If a specialist is also unfamiliar with the disciplines and challenges of their team members, they may find it more challenging to work together.

Generalists, on the other hand, have a wide variety of skills which makes them flexible enough to evolve and change careers over time. But they sacrifice depth for breadth. Most generalists won't be able to become proficient enough to be seen as experts. Their wide experience makes them strong team members because they can communicate across boundaries.

While the choice might seem binary, you have an option to become someone far more interesting.

Beyond generalists and specialists

In his interview with Chief Executive Tim Brown, CEO and president of IDEO, talks about hiring a certain type of talent to drive innovation — T-shaped people.

T-shaped people have two kinds of characteristics, hence the use of the letter “T” to describe them. The vertical stroke of the “T” is a depth of skill that allows them to contribute to the creative process. The horizontal stroke of the “T” is the disposition for collaboration across disciplines.

Companies like Apple, Facebook, and Google popularized this approach to hiring and shifted the industry. Being T-shaped became a standard not only for employees but also for freelancers. T-shaped freelancers found an advantage in being specialized generalists.

It gives them the power to provide holistic solutions for businesses where specialists would only be able to work on a single piece of the puzzle.