as agents make it easy to add features, design matters more, not less. the role is no longer just pushing pixels β itβs deciding what should exist, how it fits together, how humans stay in control, and how intelligence feels clear, trustworthy, and useful.
taste, craft, and judgment have always been the bottleneck. the game is not who ships fastest, but who makes the right thing for humans.
I donβt know exactly whatβs going on here, but it does feel AI-related. Unlike PM and eng, which started growing in 2024 (two years post-ChatGPT), design didnβt. If I had to venture a theory, Iβd say that because AI is allowing engineers to move so quickly, thereβs less opportunityβand less desireβto involve the traditional design process.
That said, youβd think design would become a differentiator as more products compete for attention. Something to think about for your company! Weβll keep watching this trend and AIβs impact on org design more generally.
One interesting observation we made when we went a level deeper: the ratio of demand for PMs vs. designers has flipped. In mid-2023, we went from more open designer roles to more open PM roles. And ever since, PM demand has been pulling away (currently 1.27x). This will be another trend to monitor, in terms of how AI is reshaping org design.