I was first introduced to Human Design in 2018. As someone who has always been keen to take any type of personality test or quiz, my curiosity instantly peaked. I was particularly intrigued by its many layers and the connection to so many other ancient traditions. Once I started studying Human Design, formally and informally, I experienced firsthand how powerful it is to lean into your design.
It gives you permission to stop forcing yourself to fit into a certain mold and embrace your unique talents and traits. In many ways, it was the perfect complement to my work to help others find and live out their purpose.
However, as I started evangelizing Human Design to my friends and family, I struggled to find resources written in relatable layman's terms. So, I decided to create this beginner's guide to offer a basic overview of what Human Design is and how you can start deciphering your chart's foundations. This post is not meant to be a substitute for personal reading, but it will give you a better understanding of the building blocks so you know where to focus your attention and what to research further.
HOMEWORK: If you have not downloaded your chart yet, I recommend generating one at
SO WHAT IS HUMAN DESIGN REALLY?
The most basic way to describe Human Design is as a personality test. But there is a lot more to it than that. Human Design is quite literally the study of who a human is designed to be. It draws on ancient traditions such as the Chinese I-Ching, the kabbalah, the chakra system, and astrology to generate a unique (and rather complex-looking) blueprint of your most authentic self based on your birth date, time, and location. This also means that your chart is fixed, unlike other personality tests. It is not based on a series of subjective questions (to which your answers may change over time), and the implications are not limited to one specific area of your life (career, relationships, etc.).
The underlying premise is that we are all born with an individual set of curiosities, talents, and points of view. Over time, however, we start to make compromises (i.e., we get “conditioned”). We adapt to our surroundings and present ourselves in a way that results in the least amount of friction with the world around us. Humans are wired to want to belong, so it’s only natural that we learn to ignore the parts of ourselves that are different to “fit in” and live up to the expectations of our family, friends, teachers, and colleagues. But that’s exactly where we go wrong.
Your chart reflects who you were born to be. Understanding your design allows you to embrace this true self and let go of the conditioning you may have picked up along the way. It encourages you to lean into your natural gifts and stop agonizing over who or what you are not.
Making sense of your chart
When you first look at your chart, it can be quite overwhelming. To me, it’s reminiscent of a half-finished paint-by-numbers picture. In this post, I want to explain some of the primary principles of Human Design in the hopes of making it more accessible to those who are new to this practice. (It’s important to note that human design is very complex, so we will barely scratch the surface.)
I will touch on the core principles in the same order as I would when doing a reading for someone. We’ll start at the highest (most universal) level with the five energy types and work our way down to a chart's more personal and individual elements (the gates and channels).
https://www.geneticmatrix.com/user-home/
The Energy Types
There are five energy types: Manifestor, Manifesting Generator, Generator, Projector, and Reflector. These energy types form the foundation of Human Design. Your energy type suggests how you are meant to use your energy in the world to experience the least amount of friction and the most amount of ease (or flow). Friction happens when you’re not operating in alignment with your energy type—in other words, when you’re trying to be someone you’re not designed to be. For example, as a Projector, I am designed to expend my energy in waves. I can work intensely for short periods but will inevitably hit a wall after a few hours. If I try to match my Man Gens work schedule, I will become less and less productive as the day progresses. I am best served to work for 4 hours straight and then relax and refuel. My MGEN boyfriend, on the other hand, has fairly consistent energy throughout the day. From the moment he wakes up to when his head hits the pillow, he is go-go-go. The outcome of a day’s work may be identical, but how we achieve this outcome is very different.
Fun Fact: Certain energy types are more prevalent than others because their distribution evolves depending on the world's needs.
The Energy Centers
Every chart has nine geometric shapes that are connected by a lot of lines. These geometric shapes can be square or triangular, and they can be colored or white. The energy centers map to the Chakra system – starting at the root and ending at the crown. Each energy center represents (or “rules” in astrological terms) an important aspect of your inner or outer world: your desires, fears, emotions, sense of direction, communication, opinions, and inspiration. When an energy center is colored, it is defined, which means you were designed to have a personal point of view in this particular area.
In other words, you have your own “default setting”. When a center is white or undefined, you do not have your own default setting and are therefore more sensitive to picking up on other peoples’ fears, opinions, etc. It will come as no surprise that the undefined centers are also where you’re most prone to conditioning. For example, my head center (which rules inspiration, anxiety & mental pressure) is undefined, suggesting that I am under pressure to understand, think, seek, and figure something out.
HOMEWORK: Look at your chart and identify which energy centers are defined vs. undefined.
is a helpful overview to start understanding how this definition may manifest in your life and personality.
The Profiles
The profiles are one of my favorite aspects of Human Design because they can result in the greatest aha-moments: “That’s why I have so much trouble with x, or that’s why I feel this enormous pressure to y.” Your profile also suggests whether you have personal or transpersonal karma. In other words, whether your life’s work should be accomplished through inner (personal) or outer (transpersonal) focus.
HOMEWORK: Locate your profile in your chart information and use THIS ARTICLE to start to educate yourself on the second number: How can you start to embrace this side of yourself more?
The Gates
This is where it gets more personal (and interesting!). Whereas you may share an energy type and a set of defined or undefined energy centers with others you know, none of them will have your unique combination of gates. The “gates” are the shorter, colored lines originating in the energy centers. Gates only reach halfway across from one energy center to another (vs. a “channel” that connects two energy centers). Each gate represents a “potential”. The gates that are colored in your chart suggest another default setting for how you think, do, relate, and emote.
This is where Human Design becomes a true art form. Many people may share a specific gate, but it will express itself differently depending on the bigger picture: your energy type, defined and undefined energy centers, your profile, etc. A competent reader will be able to provide insights that take all of these nuances into account.
For example, gate 53 originates in the root center and refers to a pressure to start or generate momentum. How I advise someone to use this gate will vary based on their energy type. I may encourage a Generator to respond to this pressure to start something new whenever it feels like a HELL YES; however, a Projector may need to be more protective of his or her energy and only start things when it is aligned with their unique skill set(s) or strengths. Otherwise, it could lead to burnout.
HOMEWORK: Instead of researching exactly what each gate means, start by looking at your chart to see if there are any energy centers that have a lot of “hanging gates”—I.e., gates that do not connect to form full channels. These are often the areas where you may experience the greatest sense of lack and sensitivity to conditioning.
A channel connects two gates to form a direct relationship between energy centers. When two energy centers are connected by a channel, they automatically become “defined”. This can suggest where you may feel particularly in sync or in flow. For example, a channel connects my root to my solar plexus (ruler of emotions). As a result, I have the ability to act on my emotions without experiencing much resistance or tension.
HOMEWORK: If you have certain channels, start to pay more attention to how and when you can trust that connection. For example, if you have any of the channels connecting your Root to your Spleen, you should feel more confident acting on your intuition. Or, if you have a channel connecting your Solar Plexus to your Throat, you will likely find it easy to express your emotions to others.
The Channels
In Closing
As mentioned before, there is a lot more to your chart than these basic principles, but I hope it has at least provided some valuable context for you to start exploring. Now that you understand what you’re looking at, I suggest you use the homework exercises to research your energy type, profile, gates, and channels in more detail.
If you need help deciphering your chart or have any questions about the above, I would love to discuss your design in a one-on-one reading/session.
