The State Of Design: Progress And Persistent Challenges

Two weeks ago, Figma, a company with some of the most significant impact in the world of design over the last decade, went public. Remember the pre-Figma state of design? Designers worked independently in design files, meticulously documented their designs for developers, then struggled to facilitate the necessary but tedious process of getting feedback from a diverse set of stakeholders. Figma uprooted the design workflow with real-time collaboration and increased the speed at which teams can go from idea to product.

Figma’s successful IPO came as design takes on a more strategic role in business and AI becomes more central in customers’ experiences. We’ve dug into the evolving scope and practices of design and see encouraging signs of progress. At the same time, persistent challenges still hinder design teams’ effectiveness. We just published key insights from our latest data in our new report, The State Of Design. Here’s a few insights:

Many design teams are growing and adding AI roles and skills. Half of design teams we surveyed are growing, and AI experience designers top the list of roles they plan to add in the next 12 months. Respondents to our survey also told us that expertise in AI-based tools is a key focus when developing existing team members, with 35% noting that this is a critical skill for designers to acquire. This focus on building and acquiring design expertise is encouraging given the critical role design needs to play in helping organizations design AI-powered experiences responsibly.
Over half of design teams still struggle with fundamentals such as following a shared framework and practicing accessible design. The most concerning finding from our survey is that 57% of respondents say they either don’t have a shared framework for design, have one but don’t follow it, or follow it inconsistently. This challenge is even more common in companies outside the software industry. Our data also revealed that many organizations with executive-backed commitments to accessibility lack essential practices for creating accessible experiences. Fewer than half conduct accessibility reviews of design concepts or make accessibility a formal requirement on projects. Documenting and consistently applying a shared design process and applying accessible design practices are critical elements of maturing a design function.
Most design teams now measure the impact of their work for at least some projects. Telling the story of design’s influence on business outcomes has been a perennial struggle for design teams, but our data shows significant signs of progress. Forty-eight percent of respondents said their design team measures the impact of design efforts on product, experience, or business outcomes for some projects/initiatives while 41% do this for all projects/initiatives.

Get In Touch

Those are just a few of the many insights from our survey. Forrester clients who want a deeper dive into this data can read our full report, The State Of Design. Then, if you’d like to ask us questions or discuss how to progress design at your organization you can set up a conversation with us. You can also follow or connect with us (Gina, AJ, and Senem) on LinkedIn.