What are the DISC Profiles of Creative Professions?

You may have taken the DISC personality assessment and wondered if placing your work personality into one box was accurate. Although the DISC can accurately categorize many careers, there’s a bit of a caveat regarding creative professions. For example, how does a rock star fit into the DISC? 

Few creative jobs fall into one single quadrant of the DISC — most of the time, you’ll find creative professionals at the intersections. Unusual jobs take an interesting combination of skills! 

Read on to find out some of the DISC profiles for creative jobs like fashion designers, lead singers and more.

A refresher on the DISC personality styles

The DISC assessment determines where you fall on two axes: 

• Task orientation versus people orientation 
• Action — whether you are outgoing or reserved

Where you fall on both axes is what gives your DISC type, either Drive, Influence, Support or Clarity. 

Everyone has a primary type D, I, S or C. Many people have a strong secondary type as well. For example, they may type as DC which means high Drive combined with high Clarity. Almost all creatives tend to fall at the intersections of the quadrants. For example, a top fashion designer might rank high on both Influence and Drive.

Fashion Designer

To work in the fashion industry requires an interesting combination of skills. Fashion designers need to be driven to succeed as there’s a lot of competition. But designers also work together with suppliers, team members, seamstresses and models and strive for perfection. Putting out a clothing collection requires Clarity and precision to ensure success, and that’s why designers are likely a CD on the disc. Combining their Drive and need for accuracy, they are conscientious and emotionally removed when necessary.

Lead singer/band frontman

A lead singer or a band frontman has a lot of responsibility — they’re a person who needs to bring a lot of energy to the stage! They also need to work well with their bandmates and put in many hours to make a record, rehearse and analyze the competition. Plus, they need to be naturally charismatic to draw people in. It makes sense that these types score high on Drive, but they also are high in Influence, making them either a DI (Drive with Influence) or ID (Influence with Drive).  

Author/Writer

Writers, whether they are novelists or journalists, have a particular type of personality, and their strengths include both creativity and logic. In most cases, writers will type high in both Support and Influence, so they are an SI. These types enjoy working steadily to solve the problem of a plot (or whatever it is they’re writing about), and they also have a strong emotional connection to others. Many authors write about the human condition, an emotion-based trait that makes them higher in Influence; they’re interested in networking and influencing others with the written word. 

Writers may also score high in Clarity. As a freelance writer myself, I seem to type in the margins as well, scoring almost equally high in Support and Clarity.

Florist

Florists are like artists with their work — they paint a picture with different flowers and know exactly what a particular occasion might call for. Florists score high in Support and Clarity, making them an SC. These creatives love helping people through their floral work, whether it’s creating the perfect wedding or something else. They work well on a team, as most florist shops aren’t run solo (Support). Being a florist also requires a lot of organization, structure, and attention to detail to get things just right (Clarity).

Hairstylists and Makeup artists

Hairstylists and makeup artists have a unique job: a blend of service and care combined with sociability and support. These types most often display Clarity and Support, or a CS. Clarity comes through with their attention to detail; hairstylists and makeup artists know their work comes down to the smallest detail. They are also quite social and caring with team members and clients. These people-focused artists spend their time interacting with their clientele all day, and their career is all about serving the public.

Gallery artists and fine artists

Similar to other artists, gallery and fine artists would type ID on the DISC. Painters, sculptors, and other fine artists use Influence to their advantage to network with art buyers and persuade galleries that their work will draw a decent crowd. Although art is generally thought of as a solitary craft, the art world requires a lot of networking to make sales. Their Drive when creating is obvious — through the creation of their art, they strive for control and usually work alone. They’re driven to succeed through their art and have to be ambitious to make a go of it. 

Film Producers and Directors

Unlike actors, film producers and directors like to work behind the camera and off the stage. These creative professionals have a healthy combination of Drive and Clarity, or DC. Producers and directors are DISC types that like to have control and lead a production, and they are focused on the end goal: the finished product. As for Clarity, actors may be looser in their process (i.e., it may not always be as structured or involve caution), but directors and producers rely on C to get them through quality control. They have to make important decisions and stick to them, and they need a lot of organization to get the job done.

Landscape designers

Landscaping makes the outside of a structure and its gardens look inviting to the people who use them, and landscape designers are artists in their own right. These creatives fall in the Support and Clarity category. Landscaping is about solving a problem — how to make an empty outdoor space beautiful and harmonious while also adapting to the nature of the environment. These plant designers are also keen on patience and harmony amongst their team since most landscapers don’t work alone.

Photographer

Photographers are CD types, or Clarity and Drive. Like the art world, the world of photography is oversaturated with people trying to make a success of their work, which is where their Drive kicks in. But their Clarity is often as important: they are methodical in the necessary details of photo editing and composition, so attention to detail is paramount. Photographers are also used to working with people and must have a logical, organized method to make the magic happen.

The takeaway

Creative professions don’t fit into one DISC quadrant, as they require a blend of strengths. People who choose creative careers would likely find their DISC profile a bit different than most, with two areas typing almost as high as each other. This is because creative professionals fall somewhere in the intersection of quadrants rather than just one. If you have yet to learn your DISC style and want to know more about your career personality type, take Truity’s DISC assessment or explore other career tests like Typefinder for the Workplace.