What Is Human Design? A Beginner's Guide To Understanding This Buzzy Personality Test

three women dancing human design typesthree women dancing human design types

A lot of us here at Brit + Co love our typology systems. Whether we're discovering more about our zodiac signs, reading up on our Enneagram types, or optimizing our lives for our MBTI types, we've found that there's a lot we can learn about ourselves by leaning into the archetypes that underpin our personalities.

Although I'm very familiar with the systems described above, I'd never really learned much about human design. I'd definitely heard of it — my impression was that it was an uber-specific system that pulled from many different philosophical traditions, including astrology — but I'd never really learned what made it different from other systems, or how it could help me.

I recently sat down with Dana Stiles and Shayna Cornelius, the founders of DayLuna, a human design website and podcast, to talk about what human design is and how you can get started with it. And I have to admit, after hearing a little more about the system, I'm intrigued.

What Is Human Design?

Chart via DayLunaLife.com

In a nutshell, human design uses information similar to that of your birth chart (the time and place of your birth), and pulls from that astrological data to create a map of energy. The idea is that based on your birth time and place, energy flows from different body centers — like a hyper-specific chakra system — and by looking at where energy flows most freely and which centers have reciprocal energy between them, you can determine your strengths, how you make decisions, how you utilize energy, and other important aspects of your personality and life purpose. From your birth info, you can generate a detailed chart (you can do this on DayLunaLife.com, as I did with the faux-birth time chart above) that shows you these energetic centers.

But really, you don't need to understand all this info up front: Dana and Shayna really recommend that to start on your human design journey, you pay attention to three major pieces of info generated by your chart: Your human design type, your type's strategy, and your inner authority style.

The Human Design Types

Based on these energetic patterns, you will fall into one of five categories, known as human design types. Here's an overview of these five types:

  • Manifestors are trailblazers, free thinkers, and often entrepreneurs. They comprise less than 10% of the world's population. "Manifestors are initiators. Their energy is here to be a starter, an innovator," says Dana. "Independence and freedom and being able to really trailblaze are key to their happiness."
  • Generators are highly energetic beings, who have the capacity to get sh*t done and make a big difference in the world through taking action. They make up about 30% of the population. "Generators have this enormous power that they're meant to use doing things that they love," says Dana. "This powerful energy source can really dwindle and drain if they're not doing something that they love."
  • Manifesting Generators have aspects of both of the two previous types. They have the capacity to be highly imaginative and creative like Manifestors, and also have the energetic drive to accomplish big things, like Generators. They make up about 35% of the world's population. "Manifesting generators often have multiple passions, like a jack-of-all trades type person. They often have several careers at once," Dana says. "They're designed to let themselves start new things and then move on when they're bored."
  • Projectors are the world's teachers. They reflect knowledge and purpose back to others, making them great leaders, but they are not highly energetic, so they need to structure their lives differently than the first three types. They make up less than 10% of the population. "They're not here to do, they are here to see, and to share what they see to guide other people toward more efficiency, and toward becoming more authentic," Dana says. "They're only meant to work for 2-4 hours per day, and if they're using more energy than that, they can really burn themselves out over time."
  • Reflectors are quite rare, and make up only 1% of the world's population. These people are true intuitives, and are highly sensitive to energy. They are the most prone to be affected by the cycles of the moon, and are characterized by their sensitive and intuitive nature. "They are extremely empathetic people; all of their energy centers are open, so they're really taking on the energy of the people around them," Dana explains. "They have this sacred purpose of gauging our well-being."

How Can Your Human Design Type Help You?

Once you know your Human Design type, Dana and Shayna recommend focusing on two aspects of your human design blueprint: Your strategy (which is determined by your type) and your authority (which varies even within types).

The Types' Strategies

For Manifestors, the first thing to focus on is that because people can't predict you, they may try to control you, or may project things onto you that aren't true. Therefore, the strategy for Manifestors is informing. In short, make your ideas and intentions clear to others. The more you communicate with others about what you're going to start or create, the better your energy will flow.

As for Generators, in order to find out what you love and what's worth putting your energy into, you need to use the strategy of responding. Let yourself experience things in your environment, and then check in with your body to see if those things are really calling you. You'll know from your physical experience if something you come across is a resounding "YES!" or a "HELL NO!".

Manifesting Generators, because they have aspects of both Manifestors and Generators, will benefit from both of the above strategies. Focus on responding to stimuli in your environment (this will require being in touch with your body, which may be a challenge at first), and then when you know something's a go, inform others around you of your plans.

Projectors need to learn to work less and share more of their insight and guidance. In order to guide other people, you need to use the strategy of waiting for the invitation. If you offer guidance and advice to someone who doesn't want to hear it, it will be a waste of your energy. Wait for others to ask for your input or invite you to share your perspective before doling out advice.

Finally, with their sensitive nature, Reflectors are extremely connected to the moon. Your strategy is to wait 28 days before making your big decisions. By allowing an entire moon cycle to pass, you'll be able to tell whether the decision you planned to make was really your own, or someone else's energy mixing with yours and potentially misleading you.

Inner Authority

The next thing Shayna and Dana recommend focusing on is your inner authority. Because this differs within types, you'll need to generate your chart in order to see what your inner authority is.

Your inner authority represents the best way for you to make decisions. For example, if you have splenic authority (as I do), your decisions are best made through instinct. Someone with emotional authority, on the other hand, will make decisions from the heart. Once you know your inner authority, you can focus on tuning into that aspect of yourself when making decisions.

Tips for Getting Started

Photo by Keila Hötzel on Unsplash

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to human design. Beyond knowing your type, strategy, and inner authority, you can discover all kinds of information about your personal gifts, your life purpose, and other important aspects of your being.

“There’s never going to be a one size, general answer to anything, because it gets so specific - just as specific as we are as humans,” says Shayna.

The first step is to generate your chart and take a look at your type. Get to know your type in depth, so you can start to become aware of how it's impacting your lifestyle.

“Once you generate your chart, the first thing to look at is your type. While human design gets very detailed beyond that, if you only looked at your type and understood what type you are, and how your aura works because of your type, you can use that aura with your strategy that really helps eliminate resistance and increase ease and flow and alignment in your life," Dana explains.

After you understand your type in depth, learn to utilize your type's strategy, and then start tuning into your inner authority. From there, you can go deeper if you want to — but according to Dana and Shayna, your life will already be vastly improved just by paying attention to those three factors.

If you loved learning about human design, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more wellness, personality type quizzes, self-care, and typology content!

Featured photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels. This post has been updated.

It's almost time to return to Cousins! The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 is coming this summer, and Prime Video just gave us a first official look at Belly, Jeremiah, and Conrad. The new episodes will open at the end of Belly's freshman year of college, and in addition to seeing the evolution of our favorite characters, author and co-showrunner Jenny Han says "there are going to be surprises" in the final season. Eek!

Here's your first look at Lola Tung, Gavin Casalegno, and Christopher Briney in The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3, coming to Prime Video July 2025!


Jenny Han says 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' fans are in for a few surprises.

Erika Doss/Prime Video

"There are the things that [fans] know and then there are things they think they know, and then there's going to be, hopefully, things that surprise them," Jenny Han tells Entertainment Weekly. Listen, I am a very proud member of Team Conrad, and seeing how cozy Belly and Jeremiah are in these pics (not to mention the set leak that's definitely not in the third book), I'm starting to wonder if Prime Video is teasing I should switch teams.

But no matter which team you're on, Lola Tung promises the season won't let you down.

Team #JellyFish will get their time this season.

Erika Doss/Prime Video

"The one thing I've always admired about Jenny is that every season and every decision about what's coming next is purely to serve the story," Lola says. "She's never going to do anything that doesn't make sense for the story. It's all about this beautiful world she's created and giving the fans something really, really special and giving us something really special to work with."

And that includes some sweet moments which Jeremiah and Belly, who "are, at their core, best friends," Lola adds. "That relationship is something that's so special and so unique to them, so it's exciting to see this season and how their relationship blossoms."

And 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' images also feature Conrad.

Erika Doss/Prime Video

But don't worry Conrad fans, we also get a look at the elder Fisher brother who "we know that he went to Stanford, and so he's continuing on his journey to become a doctor, as you can see from that white coat," Jenny says. "I think people won't be surprised to see that."

Keep reading for more images from The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3!

Erika Doss/Prime Video

Jenny Han also teases this image is actually a flashback, "so do with that what you will." BRB, I'm off dreaming of a beach vacation. I also can't help but point out the warm color grade of this season! The golden look makes everything feel warmer and more magical — and offers a youthful glow as Belly gets older.

Erika Doss/Prime Video

But for those of us who care more about Steven and Taylor (Sean Kaufman and Rain Spencer) than the main love triangle, we got this single crumb from the new images. And I'm more than happy about it, thank you very much.

Erika Doss/Prime Video

Belly (Lola Tung) gets cozy on campus in a hoodie and sunglasses.

Erika Doss/Prime Video

And Belly and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) get cozy with each other at a party.

Erika Doss/Prime Video

But they work as hard as they play! I have this exact outfit Belly's wearing, and you best believe I'm adding it into my fashion rotation.

How many episodes will The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 have?

Erika Doss/Prime Video

Great news! The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 will have 11 episodes instead of 7 or 8 like seasons 1 and 2 did. Stay tuned for the official release schedule.

Who's in the cast?

Prime Video

The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 cast features all your favorites:

  • Lola Tung as Belly Conklin: a beach-loving volleyball player who's always dreaming of summer.
  • Christopher Briney as Conrad Fisher: Belly and Steven's lifelong friend who Belly's always had a crush on.
  • Gavin Casalegno as Jeremiah Fisher: Conrad's sunny younger brother.
  • Sean Kaufman as Steven Conklin: Belly's older brother.
  • Rain Spencer as Taylor Jewel: Belly's best friend.
  • Jackie Chungas Laurel Park: Belly and Steven's mom and Susannah Fisher's best friend.

Meet The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 Cast before the new episodes air on Prime Video this July!

1923 season 2 premieres on Paramount+ February 23, and Michelle Randolph (who plays Elizabeth Dutton in the cast) is "so excited" for you to watch the new episodes — and she's been keeping up with all your fan theories!

"There are some crazy ones. I feel like the biggest fan theory thing is the family tree," she tells Brit + Co exclusively. "I've seen many different family trees and so it's like, 'OK, which one's accurate?' I actually drew my own at one point."

Here's what Michelle Randolph had to say about 1923 season 2, and the Dutton family tree, in Brit + Co's exclusive 1923 interview.

Michelle Randolph teases '1923' season 2 finally gives us answers to the Dutton family tree.

By the end of season 2, Michelle Randolph says "we might be able to fill in some blanks" in the Dutton family tree, which is a very hot topic for internet users! "I had to make my own [family tree] because all of the ones I saw on the internet were like — every single one was different. I was like 'I'm confused.'"

The Dutton family is made up of incredible cast members like Brandon Sklenar, Harrison Ford, and Helen Mirren, and Michelle reveals that the cast are just as close as their characters.

"There's a giant group chat called Giddy Up, which started during cowboy camp of season one," she says. "A cute little name, and I think I mean we all were on location in Montana and all in the same hotel, and we would get dinners after [filming], so I think even though our characters are very different and in different story lines like we all really did bond, which was really helpful to have each other throughout the chaos of of shooting a show."

The actress also says Elizabeth would connect with her 'Landman' character Ainsley.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

And if you're a tried and true Taylor Sheridan fan, you've probably picked up on the fact that Michelle isn't just in 1923 — she also has a starring role as Ainsley Norris in Landman! But would Elizabeth and Ainsley get along if they met in an alternate universe?

"That would be a fun thing to witness. I think they would," she says. "They're very different, but the similarities between them is they're both young women who are finding their place in this world and I think that they both actually look at the world through very bright eyes and have a lot of hope, which is an interesting correlation between the two of them. I think Elizabeth has gone through so much more than Ainsley obviously, so there might be a difference there, but I think they would get along."

Check out the 8 Compelling Historical Fiction Books For 1923 Lovers and read our interview with Julia Schlaepfer where she teases the Spencer and Alex's future.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. And this post has been updated.

Leaders in the matcha industry are predicting a matcha shortage this spring. Sparked by a huge surge in demand, it’s possible that your go-to drink could be affected.

Here’s everything you need to know about this season’s matcha shortage.

Nataliya Vaitkevich / PEXELS

Per The Japan Times, increased demand for matcha powder put an “unprecedented strain” on the tea industry last year, and the same effect is predicted to take place in 2025.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan saw a 185% increase in matcha production from 2010 to 2023 in order to keep up with demand from cafes and home baristas around the world, The Japan Timesreports.

Cup of Couple / PEXELS

Seeing that over half of Japan’s matcha is exported internationally, matcha lovers are looking toward the country for their green tea fix. Search interest for matcha has nearly quadrupled over the past 5 years, and it shows no sign of slowing down.

Olena Bohovyk / PEXELS

This year, mostly organic matcha strains will be affected by the shortage, though lower-grade varieties could face the same issues if consumers begin reaching for them in favor of organic offerings. While top-tier, organic strains like ceremonial-grade matcha are known for being sweeter and smoother, the lower-grade kinds like culinary-grade matcha are noticeably more bitter and don't have the same vibrant color.

Charlotte May / PEXELS

Matcha can only be harvested in the springtime, so though a shortage may be happening now, there’s hope for increased supply in the near future. This year’s harvest will start in April.

Polina Tankilevitch / PEXELS

Even though production will ramp up, Jason Eng of Kametani Tea in Japan, a company that produces matcha for beverage companies around the world, says: “This year will be an interesting one. We haven’t hit a point yet where we’re going to run out, but it’s going to be really tight this autumn – not just for us but for everybody. The demand is off the charts.”

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