Craft as North Star

On a September evening in 2025, somewhere between São Paulo and Seoul, 906 designers worldwide answered questions about their work, their hopes, their fears. The result: Figma’s State of the Designer 2026 Report portrays a profession in transition—caught between breakthrough and uncertainty, between technological acceleration and the insistence on human creativity. As artificial intelligence revolutionises the tools, craftsmanship emerges as the crucial differentiator.

Let’s dive in with a bunch of impressive numbers, shall we? 72 per cent of designers now regularly use generative AI tools, with nearly all (98 per cent) having intensified their usage over the past year. Among AI users, 89 per cent report working faster, 80 per cent collaborate more effectively, and a remarkable 91 per cent attest that AI improves the quality of their work. Yet amid this rapid technological change, a fundamental question emerges: What makes designers’ work valuable when anyone can create an interface with a prompt?

The answer may well lie in Figma’s own history and its dedication to craft—the care and attention behind every design decision. Founded in 2012 by Dylan Field and Evan Wallace, Figma revolutionised how design happens by moving it entirely into the browser. Unlike traditional tools that kept design locked on individual desktops, Figma made collaboration the default—enabling product managers, developers, and designers to work together in real-time, without the friction of file-shuffling. What began as a web-based design tool has evolved into the platform where modern digital products are born, used by teams in corporations such as BMW and Siemens, as well as by agencies and freelancers. In 2022, Adobe attempted to acquire Figma for $20 billion, a deal that ultimately fell through due to antitrust concerns. Today, Figma operates independently and continues to push the boundaries of collaborative design—now increasingly with AI at its core, as reflected in the startups Figma has acquired recently.

What is craft – and why does it matter?

Around half of the surveyed designers define craft as “visual polish and attention to detail” or “thoughtful problem solving and systems thinking.” As one Indian designer puts it: “To me, ‘craft’ means skill, detail, and intentional effort. It is not just about creating something, but doing it with care, precision, and artistry.”

What proves crucial: designers who connect craft with emotional impact and visual quality are significantly more satisfied in their jobs. They experience their work as more visible, more valued—while those who understand craft purely analytically receive recognition less often.

“The craft has matured,” explains one Italian freelance designer. “AI has automated a lot of surface-level design work, so now the value lies in systems thinking and the ability to translate complexity into clarity.”

When leadership takes craft seriously

The strongest correlation in the study concerns the relationship between company leadership and design excellence. Designers are twice as satisfied when their companies focus on craft, with 60 per cent reporting greater satisfaction when leaders show genuine interest in design. In concrete terms, this means linking design to business outcomes, giving designers room for development, and creating a culture where they can be proud of their work.

The math adds up, companies that increasingly focus on craft grow faster than the industry average, according to their designers’ assessments. And their designers view the future of the profession more optimistically.

Herein lies the report’s most important insight: AI and creative excellence are not mutually exclusive—on the contrary. AI can accelerate exploration while leaving core creative decision-making to designers.

Designers who adapt to AI are 25 per cent more satisfied than those who hesitate, and their companies grow faster (41 per cent versus 33 per cent). Crucially, these gains don’t come at the expense of craft or autonomy. Meanwhile, 40 per cent of designers who aren’t increasing their AI usage report declining job satisfaction—more than twice as many as among those who embrace AI (18 per cent). The numbers suggest that AI itself isn’t the problem, but rather the fear of it.

“For me, this report reflects what I’ve seen in teams everywhere. AI should expand our creative window, not shrink it. And real craft, the kind rooted in curiosity, intention, and iteration, is still ours,” says Loredana Crisan, Chief Design Officer at Figma.

Figma: platform and reflection space

In this transformation process, Figma plays a dual role: as a platform making design more accessible and, increasingly, as a research entity taking the pulse of the industry. Since its founding, the company has pursued the vision of bringing design out of the ivory tower and making it collaborative. The report suggests that the designers most likely to succeed in 2026 and beyond are those who understand AI as a catalyst for higher-value work while simultaneously viewing craft as their north star—as quality, intention, and emotional resonance.

The profession is in flux as designers actively recalibrate, experimenting with new tools while simultaneously affirming that their work is profoundly human. “The increase in the use of AI tools makes things much faster, but at the same time, makes everything seem too perfect and too generic,” observes one Brazilian designer. “The precise designer’s vision is what makes the difference.”