Understanding the 5 Human Design Types

In Human Design, your energy type is your first entry point into discovering what your design is—it’s the basics. Kind of like with astrology (you’re either an Aries or a Taurus or whichever), your energy type has its own traits. There are so many different things you can discover about a Human Design chart, but unless you've mastered your energy type, none of the rest of it really counts. Even though it's the first entry point into understanding Human Design, it's also the most important—it tells you the specific way you’re supposed to use your energy and how you're supposed to exchange your energy with others.

By understanding your energy type, and using it correctly, you experience flow in your life. When exchanging energy correctly with the world, you eliminate all resistance—the way you move through life and the way you make decisions starts to feel effortless. The things that start to come to you are things that are actually supposed to be for you. All of the good stuff starts to open up.

Conversely, when using your energy incorrectly, you encounter resistance—that's when life starts to feel tough and you struggle. When using your energy incorrectly, you might put a lot of time into something and not really get much back.

The five Human Design types

Your Human Design type is the cornerstone of your energy field and defines what your core energy strategy is. Of course, there will be more complex directions for each individual based on the rest of their chart.

Reflectors: 1% of the population

Reflectors are super rare energy types. They have a resistant and sampling aura. A Reflector’s presence is a mirror for others. In groups, people’s sense of themselves and the group is mirrored through the Reflector. They are the true mirrors for society with the greatest potential for wisdom out of all the types. They have the ability to take on and become many different things. They can mold to their environment and embody what is taking place.

They are learning to reflect rather than identify. Energetically, they are like blank slates with very little of their own defined energy. Growing up in a world where you have to know who you are is confusing for Reflectors most of all. Understanding that they operate so differently from 99% of the world, and that that is okay, is the best place to start for a reflector. Their strategy is to wait a full cycle of the moon before making decisions to find clarity, leading to a life of more surprise and less disappointment.

Manifestors: 9% of population

These are the trail blazers who are here to create movements, whether they intentionally try to or not. Manifesting energy in Human Design simply means they don’t need to wait for collaboration from the Universe in order to act. It’s an impulsive energy not driven by anything but the Divine expressing itself through them. A big part of living correctly as a Manifestor is cherishing and honoring those impulses, because they’re rare and special.

Because they have a closed and repelling aura, their energy can’t help but be felt when they walk into a room. Manifestors are meant to initiate and to impact others and they’re here to understand this impact. Through a Manifestor’s unique perspective, they initiate change—their actions and words bring about transformation. Their strategy is to inform others (not ask permission) before they act to find peace and avoid anger. When a Manifestor informs others, this naturally relaxes those around them and removes energetic resistance, allowing them to be an initiating catalyst for the other energy types. When moving through life without informing others, Manifestors can end up feeling angry as a result of the resistance they experience.

Because Manifestors have a selective aura, they will attract some people and repel those who aren’t right for them. This is the Universe’s natural sifting mechanism in motion, but this can feel like rejection or disapproval, so many Manifestors spend their lives trying to please everybody—this isn’t the correct use of their energy and not what they came here to do; it holds many of them back from fulfilling their true potential.

Projectors: 22% of the population

Projectors have the ability to see things the way others can’t—whether that’s reading into people, devising systems, or designing new ways of doing things, each Projector has a special ability of their own. They have unique insights into the way life works and through their sensitivity and awareness. They develop natural wisdom and can recognize the natural gifts and capabilities of others. When others recognize and value what Projectors have to offer, they can become powerful guides for the tribe.

Because Projectors have a focused and absorbing aura, they are naturally sensitive to and aware of the energy of other people. Their openness leaves them vulnerable to conditioning. Projectors need to learn to be very discerning about engaging their energy. If Projectors are focusing on the wrong people and have not been really recognized, this can lead to exhaustion and bitterness. Their strategy is to wait for the invitation to find success and avoid bitterness.

Getting recognition is important, and because of that, Projectors often try to prove they can hustle and keep up with the rest of the world. However, they have inconsistent energy and can easily spend their time beating themselves up over the fact that they can’t just ‘make things happen.’ They are not here to do that. It’s very common for Projectors to be impatient if they don’t understand how their energy operates. The more they trust the flow of life as a Projector, instead of trying to keep up with the Generators, the more stuff will start happening for them.

Generators: 31% of the population

Generators (combined with Manifesting Generators) are the dominant type on the planet with nearly 70% of the population. They are pure life force in motion—the builders and the laborers for most major projects that are initiated. When they are doing what they love, people can’t get enough of them.

Their strategy is to respond, and through response, find satisfaction and avoid frustration. Generators are first and foremost people of activity. They are also the natural hustlers and doers of society. They are full of vigor and need an outlet for their powerful inner drive. They tackle projects with intentness and determination, gaining momentum as they make progress. Finding activities that they have a natural enthusiasm for helps their energy to grow and be expressed. As Generators find and connect to their passions, their dedication will lead to mastery—and this will lead to success and satisfaction. Their life’s work tends to be in refining what projects best fuel their energy.

Generators have to listen to their gut and honor their desires, rather than saying "yes” to things they feel they should do. Because of their energy type, other people will want to use the Generator’s energy for their own benefit. But Generators have to be lit up and passionate about anything they engage their energy with, otherwise they burn out. Unless it’s a HELL YES, it should be a no!

Manifesting Generators: 37% of the population

These are a hybrid for the new age: a Generator plus a Manifestor. When they’re living correctly they’re like super humans! Not only do they have the ability to initiate, like the Manifestor, they can also make it happen like the Generator. They must process the anger of the Manifestor and inform others at key moments. They also must process the frustration of the Generator and wait for the right timing to act on things. The Manifestor yearns to leap into action and the Generator must wait for good timing. Manifesting Generators will often ‘move’ quicker than Generators, but they’ll also have to course-correct more often.

Manifesting Generators often feel caught between wanting to run out the door and act on their impulses, and also wait for their gut feelings to kick in (the hell yes or the hell no). Every time the Manifesting Generator leaps into something without waiting to respond—they will meet resistance. They must reserve the right to change their mind as they go. They must train their loved ones to accept that from them, wherever possible.

There you have it!

Literally, if you do nothing else with your Human Design journey except master your energy type, that’s going to be the thing that creates the most change in your life. Once you learn to align with your energy type, then everything else feels much easier to adopt because you feel more in touch with who you are as a person.

Want to learn more? Here’s how to know your human design strategy.