As design school grads launch into their chosen professions, it’s a good time of year to remind all design professionals that your career is the one design project that you control. There is no single right path, no single right direction. There is an array of options, and the choice is entirely up to you. But keep in mind that designers can take on important leadership roles in all types of companies.

Designers can take on important leadership roles in all types of companies.

Just consider the dazzling career trajectories of the following industrial design grads. Mark Parker started as a footwear designer and is now the CEO of Nike. Designer Bob Schwartz became the General Manager of Global Design for GE after heading up the Industrial Designers Society of America. Mauro Porcini, a long-time designer at 3M, became a SVP Chief Design Officer at PepsiCo. In the tech world, Jonathan Ive joined Apple as a young designer in 1992—his second job following a stint at Tangerine in London—and the rest is history. Meanwhile, Steve Kaneko was designing the mouse at Microsoft, ultimately becoming Director of UX Design for the company.

But other industrial designers successfully forged very different paths. Nathan Shedroff, designer turned entrepreneur, now leads California College of Art’s MBA Design Strategy program. Former IDSA chief Cooper Woodring has gone on to become an expert witness in design patent litigation. Brian Cheskey, a RISD alum, co-founded and is CEO of Airbnb.

And what about former visual and communication design students? David Butler is now the VP of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Coca-Cola. Dana Arnett became the CEO of VSA Partners. Kate Aronowitz rose to the Director of Design at Facebook (and has since joined a finance startup), and Shelley Evenson became Director of Organizational Evolution at Fjord.

What’s your own professional destination, and how will you get there? To answer that question, a savvy designer might apply design-thinking methods to his or her career and treat it like a design problem. Here are a few challenges that might arise between your first job and your dream job.

Design Problem #1: You Don’t Have a Direction

What should guide you in career planning above all is your passion. Ask yourself these questions: What do you believe in? What values influence your work? What is your vision for the future, what do you want to be known for in three years, in five years?

By shadowing and consulting with others you will learn more about yourself

There is nothing like contextual, user-centered research, even in career planning. Find two or three mentors and explore alternative design careers from their perspective. By shadowing and consulting with others you will learn more about yourself, which can help you decide what direction you want to go. For example, at one point in my career, I decided to shift from visual design to either product design or architecture. I couldn’t decide which until I shadowed an architect, a stint that made it very clear that architecture wasn’t for me. A new path only becomes clear if you are in motion, so break down the goals into bite size projects and get started.