The role of designers is changing in many organizations, yet we know little of how designers themselves construct their professional identities. Based on 38 interviews of designers working in a design agency, we use Bakhtinian literary genres and chronotopes as a lens to identify four embedded narrative types. These highlight different aspects of designers’ work, including different constructions of design – ranging from craftmanship and exploration to innovations and co-creation. Novelty, learning and community emerged as fundamental constructs within designer identity. Furthermore, identity work in each narrative was connected to different types of triggering situations and contextual promoters. The analysis illuminates the multifaceted and situated nature of professional identity work, emphasizing the need to examine design embedded in its context.

在许多组织中，设计师的角色正在发生变化，但是我们对设计师自己如何构建自己的职业身份知之甚少。根据在一家设计机构工作的38位设计师的访谈，我们使用巴赫金主义的文学体裁和记时法作为镜头来识别四种嵌入式叙事类型。这些强调了设计师工作的各个方面，包括设计的不同结构-从工艺和探索到创新和共同创造。新颖性，学习性和社区性已成为设计师身份中的基本要素。此外，每个叙述中的身份工作都与不同类型的触发情境和情境推动者相关。分析揭示了专业身份工作的多面性和处境性，