Figma’s State of the Designer 2026 is subtitled “Designers Are Leaning Into the Messy Middle.” I read “messy middle” less as emotional uncertainty and more as positional—designers occupy the space between product management and engineering, stretched in both directions. Their own Shifting Roles report backs this up: 64% of product builders now identify with two or more roles.

Madeline Stafford, writing for Figma:

And while designers crave the space for creative independence, they still benefit from clarity. Nearly all (91%) of designers say that clear goals and expectations help them do their best work. Structure is reassuring as AI changes the product design process. You’ve maybe seen this happening in real time: Armed with new tools, non-designers are increasingly able to participate in the design process. And while designers welcome collaboration—90% agree that it’s key to producing good work—these fluid boundaries can be scary.

“Fluid boundaries can be scary” is the key line. When everyone can prototype and has opinions about the UI, a designer’s value stops being about output and becomes about judgment.

Stafford again:

Designers want a seat at the table: They’re most content in their jobs when they have creative freedom, ranking it the number one contributor to overall satisfaction at work. Eighty-seven percent of designers say that decision-making power also boosts their performance, which many can connect directly to stronger business outcomes.

Designers want clear jurisdiction. When your role expands toward product strategy on one side and engineering on the other, knowing what you own matters. A Brazil-based designer in the survey:

AI tools make things much faster, but the precise designer’s vision is what makes the difference.

That “precise vision” is what separates a designer from a PM who happens to use Figma. The full report is worth a read.