I get it. You are tired of adjusting.

Every few years, someone tells us designers to reposition, learn new skills, pivot again. I went through the latest reports and interviews to understand what is actually happening. And what we can do about it.

The Pattern

Now the rules are changing again. Build, learn taste, master storytelling, talk business, become interpreneurs. While still maintaining a good relationship with engineers, PMs and our boss.

Insight 01

91% of designers (out of 906) say AI tools improve their designs, according to Figma’s report.

But Anthropic's labor market research confirms the gap between what AI can do and what it actually does in practice is massive. Adoption will spread. But right now, most companies are not there yet.

Jenny Wen (Head of Design for Claude) said on Lenny's Podcast: even engineers cannot keep up with themselves right now. At Anthropic they do mocking, pairing with engineers, polishing things in code.

The process is not gone. You just need to adapt it again.

Insight 02

There's no single answer to "what should I become?" Because companies are in very different places. The majority of the roles I have seen and hired for recently didn't have an explicit AI requirement.

Where it's more clear is roles about designing AI products. But even there, the requirements are still shaping. AI skills often appear in the "nice to have" section because not many designers have AI experience yet.

The advice you follow should depend on where you want to work.

Insight 03

Jenny Wen is the Design Lead for Claude at Anthropic. She shared these 3 archetypes on Lenny's Podcast.

Important caveat: this comes from one of the most AI-forward companies in the world. It doesn't mean every organisation thinks this way. But companies like Anthropic set trends. What they hire for today, others will hire for in the future.

Worth paying attention to.

Someone who is really good at multiple things, overlapping PM and engineer roles.

Most designers are generalists. I think like 99% of those that I met. I am one too. The question I'm answering for myself now: What does "really good" look like for me?

Still T-shaped, but the vertical line goes much deeper than for most. 50% software engineer. Unique visual crafter.

Going deep here could be your protection. The question to ask yourself: What does going deep look like for me?

Jenny said most companies overlook this one. Why are they valuable now?

This isn't about age. It's a mindset. The question: How can I show this mindset no matter my experience?

Portfolio Spotlight

One example of a junior designer (just by years of experience) is Matthew Petersen. He built the site himself, but also added an AI feature, much better than AI chats I've seen in some other portfolios.

That's the Cracked New Grad mindset in action. Building things. Not waiting for permission. Using new tools without attachment to how things were done before.

I asked Matthew to share one tip for creating a portfolio:

My Advice

We can't just think about market. But we also can't just think about our own needs. It's not black and white.

For every designer this adoption will ultimately mean a different thing. One thing is clear: you decide for yourself, in your own context and constraints.

For me? It's building a career portfolio. Experimenting. Leaving. Joining.

I'd love to hear what you're thinking. Hit reply and tell me.

🫶 Together with Maze

Most portfolio advice is about visuals. If your strength is research, it doesn't help. I turned key findings from Maze's The Future of User Research 2026 report into portfolio tips for designers who lead with research.

Full report goes much deeper. Read Maze's report here

Tools I actually use in my workflow. Some links support this newsletter.