5 design skills to sharpen in the AI era

AI is reshaping the way products are made: It’s accelerating exploration, lowering barriers to entry, and widening the circle of who can participate in the design process. In response, teams are honing new skills to meet the moment. In our recent report State of the Designer 2026, we asked the design community which skills matter most to them in the age of AI. Here, we’re sharing what those skills are—and how to perfect them.

1. Building up your AI toolkit—and your prompting prowess

Today, AI fluency is no longer a nice-to-have. Over half of designers and hiring managers say that AI design skills—like the ability to prompt your way to a quick prototype or vibe code an app—are essential. This is because designers who have embraced AI in the last year are feeling the difference: 91% say it helps them create better designs, and 89% say it helps them work faster. And as AI makes it easier for people to reach beyond their current roles,

these tools are becoming table stakes for everyone. While 54% of hiring managers say that designing with AI is in the top five most in-demand skill for designers, 57% say the same for non-design roles, like PMs, developers, marketers, and more.

This can look like anything from using AI to tweak images

in situ, to building prototypes instead of writing PRDs

Prototypes are the new PRDs

A growing number of product managers are finding that the fastest way to clarity is to build. Inside Figma Make, they’re pressure-testing assumptions early, building momentum, and rallying teams around something tangible.

. But the first step is to nail the basics. Clear, well-structured prompts are critical to getting good results. Structuring your prompts

Cooking with constraints: A designer’s framework for better AI prompts

Design and cooking share a truth: Preparation determines the outcome. Structured prompts turn AI from guesswork into a reliable design partner.

around core components—the task, context, elements, behavior, and constraints—can produce stronger outputs. And writing better prompts isn’t just about getting what you need in the moment; it’s about designing a repeatable structure for continuous work.

Further reading on AI workflows

→ 8 essential tips for using Figma Make

→ 4 ways for design teams to chart new territory with Figma Make

→ 6 winning Figma Makes—and what you can learn from them

2. Leaning into multiplayer product building

As AI lowers the barrier for non-designers to participate in the design process, collaboration is more important than it’s ever been. The majority of hiring managers rank cross-functional collaboration as a top-five skill, while 90% of designers say it helps them do their best work. And AI isn’t just expanding the need for cross-functional partnerships—it’s making those connections stronger. In fact, 80% of designers say AI tools help them collaborate more successfully.

AI is also reshaping how teams collaborate. Instead of clear handoffs between distinct disciplines, now it’s about fluid partnerships on everything from strategy to ship. New tools let anyone design from anywhere

, regardless of job title—whether it’s a developer starting in code, a PM wireframing new concepts, or a designer prompting early prototypes. But this way of working is a new muscle to build, and it makes cross-functional communication paramount to surface feedback earlier and ship products faster.

Further reading on collaboration

→ The Duolingo method: Collaboration as a core practice

→ Are roles and responsibilities a thing of the past?

3. Being a systems thinker

Teams need strong foundations to keep craft high. “AI has automated a lot of surface-level design work,” says one designer we surveyed. “Now the value lies in systems thinking and the ability to translate complexity into clarity.” Forty-seven percent of hiring managers rank systems thinking and service design as a top-five requirement for new hires. Designers are leaning into the tools and skills that fall under this umbrella: solving user problems with testing and research, maintaining clear documentation, and codifying taste and quality with design systems

.

Further reading on systems thinking

→ Why you should care about design context

→ Design systems and AI: Why MCP servers are the unlock

→ How design systems power the new pace of product development

4. Creating AI features that add value, not just sparkle

Many teams are scrambling to keep up with rising user expectations, quickly experimenting to figure out how AI might fit into their products. That’s why 37% of designers rank designing AI products as a top-three in-demand skill, while 39% of leaders say it’s a top-five skill for new hires. "We’re building end-user products that integrate AI workflows in various ways and we need [team members] who understand those workflows and/or are able to quickly learn to integrate them into a broader platform,” says a design hiring manager in the tech industry. And this is true across product roles: 48% of hiring managers say designing for AI products is a top-five skill for non-designers, making it an organization-wide expectation.

There’s pressure to build AI features in order to stay competitive, but those features still need to solve real user problems. Instead of giving into AI hype, go a layer deeper by capturing human intent and trust

in every interaction—it takes thoughtful iteration to get it right.

Further reading on building AI-driven products

→ Is the app layer where AI proves its value?

→ Shipping hype: PMs on what it takes to bring AI features to market

5. Upholding craft through visual polish, taste, and intention

Nothing can replace a designer’s eye, and over half (58%) of designers and hiring managers rank visual polish as the number one most important skill. As AI lets designers go from prompt to prototype in minutes, craft—the curiosity, intuition, taste, and intention

behind every detail—is essential.

This means starting from first principles, rethinking old playbooks, and iterating until the right direction earns your confidence. And while AI can accelerate that exploration, it can’t choose to wander beyond the brief, challenge whether assumptions are wrong, or follow an unexpected hunch with patience. That’s where your expertise matters: sensing what will resonate, noticing when something feels off even if it technically works, and designing for a human response.

Further reading on keeping craft high

→ The making of a product icon

→ Hard problems are still hard: A story about the tools that change and the work that doesn't

→ Karri Saarinen’s 10 rules for crafting products that stand out

Thriving in the age of AI isn’t just about trying new workflows—it’s about how well you can evolve your skillset to meet the moment. Whether you’re leveling up in your current role, looking for a new one, or setting out at the beginning of your career, it’s never a bad time to hone your craft.

To learn more about how teams are sharpening their skills in the AI era, read State of the Designer 2026.

How are you approaching today’s rapidly-changing design landscape? Below, take our quiz to see what you have in common—or not—with your peers.