Read past some of the hyperbole in this piece by Andy Budd. I do think the message is sound.
If you’re working at a fast-growth tech startup, you’re probably already feeling the pressure. Execs want more output with fewer people. Product and engineering are experimenting with AI tooling. And you’re being asked to move faster than ever — with less clarity on what the team should even own.
I will admit that I personally feel this pressure too. Albeit, not from my employer but from the chatter in our industry. I’m observing the younger companies experiment with the process, collapsing roles, and expanding responsilities.
As AI eats into the production layer, the traditional boundaries between design and engineering are starting to dissolve. Many of the tasks once owned by design will soon be handled by others — or by machines.
Time will tell when this becomes widespread. I think designers will be asked to ship more code. And PMs and engineers may ship small design tweaks.
The reality is, we’ll likely need fewer designers overall. But the ones we do need will be more specialised, more senior, and more strategically valuable than ever before.
You’ll want AI-literate, full-stack designers — people who are comfortable working across the entire product surface, from UX to code, and from interface to infrastructure. Designers who can navigate ambiguity, embrace new tooling, and confidently operate in the blurred space between design and engineering.
I don’t know if I agree with the fewer number of designers. At least not in the near-term. The more AI is embedded into app experiences, the trend—I predict—will go in the opposite direction. The term “AI as material” has been floating around for a few months, but I think its meaning will morph. AI will be the new UI, and thus we need designers to help define those experiences.
Design Leadership in the Age of AI: Seize the Narrative Before It’s Too Late
Design is changing. Fast. AI is transforming the way we work — automating production, collapsing handoffs, and enabling non-designers to ship work that once required a full design team. Like it or not, we’re heading into a world where many design tasks will no longer need a designer. If that fills you with unease, you’re not alone. But here’s the key difference between teams that will thrive and those that won’t: Some design leaders are taking control of the narrative. Others are waiting to be told what’s next.
andybudd.com
