Your Big Three in Human Design: Type, Authority, and Profile

Human Design’s equivalent to your sun, moon, and rising sign

Ana Saldamando
3 min readFeb 6, 2024
Photo by Elizabeth Tsung on Unsplash

Many of us know our “big three” in astrology. For instance, I’m a Scorpio sun, Cancer moon, and Leo rising. (true!) But do you know your big three in Human Design?

Human Design is a newer system of self-knowledge that like astrology generates a chart based on birth date, time, and location. While there’s a lot to know about your design, it’s best to start with the key components:

  • your type
  • your profile
  • your authority

With the growing popularity of Human Design, you may find yourself in a social situation where you’re asked instead of what’s your sign, What’s your design?

More importantly, when you follow your big three—type, authority, and profile—your life becomes more aligned and gets easier.

Let’s start with the three basics.

Type: how to best use your energy

There are five types in Human Design.

  • Projector
  • Manifestor
  • Generator
  • Manifesting Generator
  • Reflector

Each type is designed to use its energy differently. For example, a Projector is here to guide others rather than be a productive worker. A Generator, in comparison, has the energy to be a workhorse especially when they’re doing something they love.

Your type informs not only how to use your energy at work but also in relationships with others. For example, a Manifestor is most aligned when they initiate a friendship or romantic relationship rather than waiting for others to come to them.

Each type describes the most strategic way to use your energy. In fact, each type comes with a strategy, which you can read more about here.

Your type in Human Design is your operating system.

Like your sun sign in astrology, your type speaks to the core of who you are.

Authority: how to best make decisions

Your authority is your decision-making process. What’s wild is that no one is designed to make decisions from their mind! There are seven possible authorities in Human Design.

For example, some people are here to make spontaneous decisions based on an intuitive hit. Others are meant to sleep on decisions and wait until they feel calm and clear. Making decisions from one’s intuition or feelings is much different from using the logical mind.

When you listen to your authority and stop listening to what everybody else thinks you should do, you start aligning with your true direction in life. Read more about the seven authorities here.

Your authority in Human Design is your inner compass.

Like your moon sign in astrology, your authority speaks to your inner workings, including your intuitive knowing over your mind’s knowing.

Profile: how to best show up in the world

There are 12 profiles in Human Design. They are comprised of two numbers combined in what looks like a fraction such as a 1/3, 2/4, 5/1, or 6/2. These combinations of numbers reveal your unique role in society.

For example, some people are here to be seen as sage role models (if you have a 6 in your profile) while others are here to be seen as a natural at something (if you have 2 in your profile). So, for example, with a 6/2 profile, you are someone who others look up to as wise and talented.

Your profile in Human Design is your role in society.

Like your rising sign in astrology, your profile is your external self, what others see in you, and your public-facing persona.

Human Design reveals your highest potential and how to get there: by following your type’s strategy and your authority, and stepping into your profile.

The more you do life as you, the more life rewards you.

Hi, I’m Ana! I’m a Projector with an emotional authority and a 4/6 profile. I do Human Design readings to help people make better love, career, and life decisions for themselves. Book a 1:1 reading with me.

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Ana Saldamando

Writings for the spiritually curious, skeptics, and believers. Mostly, Human Design. anasaldamando.com