Design Strategist

Design Strategist performs the defined actions shown here and this page contains 20 real tasks. The descriptions make clear what success looks like and where small errors matter. Each one shows where we found it, and comes with an AI prompt you can copy and use straight away.

20evidenced tasks
20ready prompts
9tools of the trade
15-1255.01O*NET-SOC code
113,330hold this job (US, BLS 2025)
$104,000median pay/yr (US)
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What it pays

Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.

Half of all Web and Digital Interface Designers in the U.S. earn more than $104,000 a year — the middle 80% land between $53,750 and $201,550. About 113,330 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Web and Digital Interface Designers”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$104,000typical pay / year
113,330people in this work
$201,550+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
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The work, task by task

These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.

Make5

Conduct playtesting and iterate designs

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Run three evening playtest sessions with Maya, Owen, and Priya using the current prototype level, observe…
Run three evening playtest sessions with Maya, Owen, and Priya using the current prototype level, observe player frustration points and enjoyment spikes, log concrete UI and pacing changes, then push the updated build and schedule a follow-up test next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workGitjob descriptionsO*NET

Specify game mechanics and storylines

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Draft the core loop, win/lose conditions, item progression and three branching story beats for Act One, test…
Draft the core loop, win/lose conditions, item progression and three branching story beats for Act One, test these rules against player journeys with the team on Friday, then update the story map and balance notes.
The tools that do the workJavaScriptjob descriptionsO*NET

Design core features of video games

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Define the five core playable systems for our sci-fi shooter: movement and cover, weapon handling, enemy AI…
Define the five core playable systems for our sci-fi shooter: movement and cover, weapon handling, enemy AI intent, progression and loot loops, and social multiplayer loop — for each give player intent, fail states, KPIs, and one prototype task for an internal playtest next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workC#GitESCOjob descriptionsWikipedia

Balance and adjust gameplay experiences

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Produce a balancing plan to tune economy, enemy difficulty, and progression pacing for the demo build — list…
Produce a balancing plan to tune economy, enemy difficulty, and progression pacing for the demo build — list current pain points, target player time-to-level, XP curves by hour, and three adjustable knobs to test in the closed beta starting June 2.
The tools that do the workC#ESCOjob descriptionsO*NET

Conceive overall game concept and story

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Outline the high-level game concept and narrative spine for a single-player mythic adventure: core theme,…
Outline the high-level game concept and narrative spine for a single-player mythic adventure: core theme, protagonist arc, three flagship moments, main antagonist motivation, and a two-paragraph elevator pitch to present to producers on Monday.
The tools that do the workAdobe Photoshopjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
Keeping the record1
MASTER

Create and maintain design documentation

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Compile the design guide with the latest rules, character bios, wireframes and decision log, review it with…
Compile the design guide with the latest rules, character bios, wireframes and decision log, review it with product and engineering on Tuesday, merge their feedback, and commit a versioned spec for sprint planning.
The tools that do the workGitjob descriptionsO*NET
The daily work14

Create detailed level layouts and environments

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Draw complete level layouts for the forest and factory zones, include player spawn, enemy paths, loot…
Draw complete level layouts for the forest and factory zones, include player spawn, enemy paths, loot placement and choke points, annotate verticality and lighting notes, then export layered environment sheets for the art and engineering teams by Tuesday.
The tools that do the workAdobe IllustratorAdobe Photoshopjob descriptionsO*NET

Create gameplay prototypes

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Build a playable prototype of the core combat loop: basic movement, hit detection, enemy AI states and…
Build a playable prototype of the core combat loop: basic movement, hit detection, enemy AI states and scoring, instrument telemetry for balance, and deliver a runnable build with a one-page design brief by Friday.
The tools that do the workC#Gitjob descriptionsO*NET

Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams

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Run a cross-discipline sync to resolve the sprint's feature conflicts: circulate a one-page brief of goals,…
Run a cross-discipline sync to resolve the sprint's feature conflicts: circulate a one-page brief of goals, list dependencies with owners, schedule follow-ups for art, engineering and QA, and capture decisions into the project board today.
The tools that do the workAtlassian JIRAjob descriptionsWikipedia

Collaborate with artists to achieve appropriate visual style.

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Work with concept artists to lock the game's visual direction: review style frames, specify palette,…
Work with concept artists to lock the game's visual direction: review style frames, specify palette, silhouette rules and texture fidelity, approve three character turnaround sheets and produce a short style guide by next Monday.
The tools that do the workAdobe PhotoshopAdobe IllustratorO*NET

Consult with multiple stakeholders to define requirements and implement online features.

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Interview the monetisation, live ops and customer support leads, consolidate their feature requests and KPIs,…
Interview the monetisation, live ops and customer support leads, consolidate their feature requests and KPIs, translate into prioritized requirements for the online feature roadmap and post the scope and acceptance criteria to the project board by Friday.
The tools that do the workGitAtlassian JIRAO*NET

Adapt design processes to different production methodologies

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Adapt our core design process to work with both live-service and fixed-scope production: map decision points,…
Adapt our core design process to work with both live-service and fixed-scope production: map decision points, handoffs to engineering and art, approval gates and iteration cadence, then circulate the revised workflow to Maya, Tom in engineering and Priya in art for signoff by Friday.
The tools that do the workAtlassian JIRAGitWikipedia

Focus on playfield design

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Design the core playfield layout for the new casual match game: set camera framing, tile sizes, scoring…
Design the core playfield layout for the new casual match game: set camera framing, tile sizes, scoring hotspots, obstacle placement and pacing rules, then export annotated mock screenshots and send them to Hana in level design and Raj in prototyping for usability testing by Wednesday.
The tools that do the workAdobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoshopESCO

Write specifications

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Write a clear specification for the shop and currency systems: define data models, UI flows, purchase rules,…
Write a clear specification for the shop and currency systems: define data models, UI flows, purchase rules, error states, metrics to capture and acceptance criteria, then attach it to the design ticket and request review from finance and QA by Monday noon.
The tools that do the workHypertext markup language HTMLAtlassian JIRAESCO

Determine supplementary virtual features, such as currency, item catalog, menu design, and audio direction.

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Define a supplementary virtual economy: list the currency types, 40-item catalog with rarity tiers and…
Define a supplementary virtual economy: list the currency types, 40-item catalog with rarity tiers and pricing, menu navigation flows for purchase and inventory, and audio direction notes for buy/sell and ambient tracks for the next design review on Friday.
The tools that do the workExtensible markup language XMLJavaScriptO*NET

Guide and collaborate with production staff

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Run a two-hour alignment session with production: walk through the game vision, hand off prioritized feature…
Run a two-hour alignment session with production: walk through the game vision, hand off prioritized feature tickets, set sprint ownership for art, systems and audio, confirm delivery dates and escalation path so producers leave with clear next actions.
The tools that do the workAtlassian JIRAjob descriptions

Solicit and integrate feedback from staff

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Gather structured feedback from level design, art and engineering: send the prototype build, ask three…
Gather structured feedback from level design, art and engineering: send the prototype build, ask three focused questions per discipline, collect annotated screenshots and a one-paragraph impact note, then consolidate into a decision memo for Monday.
The tools that do the workGitjob descriptions

Shape narrative elements and dialogues

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Draft the narrative arc and forty key dialogue beats tied to gameplay moments, mark character goals and…
Draft the narrative arc and forty key dialogue beats tied to gameplay moments, mark character goals and emotional tone, then circulate for writer and narrative designer review with revision deadlines ahead of the next milestone.
The tools that do the workHypertext markup language HTMLjob descriptions

Specify subsets or subsystems of the game

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Break the game into subsystems: list core systems (economy, progression, combat, UI, audio), define inputs,…
Break the game into subsystems: list core systems (economy, progression, combat, UI, audio), define inputs, outputs, and success metrics for each, and nominate owners so engineers can estimate in the next sprint planning meeting.
The tools that do the workC#Wikipedia
N

Fulfill the overall vision of the game

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Produce a one-page vision brief that binds the game's core loop, art direction, target audience, live service…
Produce a one-page vision brief that binds the game's core loop, art direction, target audience, live service goals and success metrics, attach mood boards and a playable snapshot, and send it to stakeholders for sign-off before scope freeze.
The tools that do the workAdobe Creative CloudGitWikipedia

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