Understanding Today’s Design Job Market (Figma’s New Study + Daniel Wert)

Design Leadership Trends and Insights

Overview of Design Demand

• Daniel notes a high demand for designers, with significant interest in design roles persisting. He emphasizes that design hiring has notably increased over the past year.

• Reflecting on 2024, he mentions it was a slower year for hiring due to layoffs and budget cuts but sees signs of recovery in 2025, expressing cautious optimism about future trends.

Definition of Leadership in Design

• Daniel clarifies that "leadership" at Wharton Company encompasses more than just executive roles; it includes various positions across the design spectrum, such as individual contributors (IC) and founding designers.

• He explains that leadership qualities can be found throughout all levels of management and across different disciplines within design, from industrial to product design.

Changes in Client Demographics

• The conversation highlights a shift towards tech companies seeking design talent earlier in their development process compared to previous decades when fashion or makeup brands were more common clients.

• Daniel observes an increase in startups reaching out for design leadership roles, indicating a trend where companies prioritize hiring designers sooner rather than later.

Evolving Role of Founding Designers

• Discussing the role of founding designers, Daniel points out that this title reflects a sentiment rather than a specific level within an organization. Founding designers can vary widely in experience and responsibilities.

• He emphasizes the importance of understanding what companies mean when they seek a founding designer—whether they need someone to implement existing ideas or lead the creative vision from scratch.

Founding Designer Roles: Trends and Insights

Understanding Founding Designer Roles

• Not all founding designer roles are the same; they vary in leadership and execution responsibilities, making it essential to understand specific company needs through direct engagement with hiring managers.

• There is a noticeable increase in demand for founding designers across various roles, indicating a shift in how companies view design's importance early on.

Key Characteristics of Founding Designers

• Companies seek mission-driven individuals who genuinely believe in their work, especially when equity is involved; this mindset is crucial for early-stage hires.

• Versatility is highly valued at early-stage companies, where employees often need to wear multiple hats due to limited resources and funding.

The Importance of Versatility

• Founding designers should possess a range of skills including UI/UX proficiency, storytelling abilities, and operational tasks like client engagement or sales support.

• Early-stage teams expect all members, including engineers, to contribute beyond their primary roles; this highlights the necessity for versatility across the board.

Hiring Trends and Challenges

• While versatility is key, hiring managers may have unrealistic expectations for single hires to cover extensive skill sets within design disciplines.

• The trend towards seeking multi-disciplinary talent reflects budget constraints but also indicates an evolving understanding of design's complexity.

Market Dynamics and Hiring Realities

• Companies often hope that one hire can fulfill multiple roles within design; however, it's advisable to consider hiring more than one person for specialized areas.

• Despite broad demand for design talent earlier in company lifecycles, some candidates struggle to find suitable positions due to unrealistic expectations from hiring managers.

Hiring Strategies in Design

Misaligned Expectations in Hiring

• The challenge of finding a "unicorn" candidate who possesses multiple skills can lead to misaligned expectations. Instead, hiring two individuals with complementary skills may yield better results and more opportunities for candidates.

Understanding Design Roles

• There is a misunderstanding among hiring managers regarding the diverse nature of design roles. A team should be viewed as a collective, similar to Voltron, where different designers contribute unique strengths.

Influence of Successful Companies

• Many companies aspire to emulate successful brands like Apple and Airbnb but often limit themselves by seeking only one designer instead of building a well-rounded team.

Blurring of Roles in Teams

• A significant percentage (64%) of professionals involved in software processes are taking on multiple roles, which complicates the hiring landscape. This trend raises questions about whether hiring managers overlook potential candidates who could acquire additional skills through AI tools.

Investment in Employee Development

• Companies often seek immediate solutions rather than investing in employee development. Hiring two people or being patient with one hire while providing training could lead to greater long-term success.

The Importance of Team Composition

Critical Role of Design in Business Success

• The speaker emphasizes that design is crucial for business success, contrasting it with engineering departments that typically hire multiple specialists without hesitation.

Long-Term Thinking and Player Development

• Drawing parallels with sports franchises, the discussion highlights the importance of robust player development programs. Companies should adopt a long-term approach rather than searching for an all-in-one solution.

Moneyball Philosophy Applied to Hiring

Concept Overview: Moneyball

• The "Moneyball" philosophy suggests that instead of seeking high-paid superstars, organizations should focus on assembling balanced teams through strategic analytics and diverse skill sets.

Application Beyond Sports

• While some may dismiss sports analogies, understanding the principles behind "Moneyball" can provide valuable insights into effective team-building strategies across various industries.

Real-Life Examples from Baseball

• The Oakland Athletics' approach under Billy Beane illustrates how leveraging data analytics can help identify undervalued players who collectively contribute more effectively than a single star player would.

Hiring Strategies for Startups: A Pragmatic Approach

Understanding the Landscape of Startup Hiring

• Most companies are small to mid-cap and often lack significant revenue, necessitating a pragmatic approach to hiring.

• Startups should view themselves as basketball teams with salary caps rather than baseball teams with unlimited budgets, emphasizing strategic hiring over financial competition.

• The focus should be on finding undervalued talent who can contribute effectively, even if their resumes aren't impressive; these individuals can help startups succeed.

Developing Talent Within Constraints

• Hiring managers operate within constraints but can identify candidates who have potential for growth, suggesting that some may evolve into high performers over time.

• New tools and capabilities allow overlooked candidates to develop skills that could lead them to become standout contributors in the future.

The Importance of People Management

• Successful hiring strategies depend on having dedicated personnel focused on employee development akin to player development in sports.

• Organizations must prioritize nurturing and mentoring talent; without effective people management, potential hires may not reach their full capabilities.

Shifts in Organizational Structure and Demand

• Recent trends show a flattening of organizations leading to fewer middle management roles, which complicates the ability to mentor junior staff effectively.

• There is a notable demand for senior individual contributors (ICs), while hiring for junior positions has decreased significantly due to a lack of mentorship resources.

Short-Term Thinking vs. Long-Term Development

• Companies face existential pressures that lead them to prioritize immediate results over long-term investment in talent development.

• This short-sighted approach results in hiring practices that favor experienced individuals who require no training, potentially stunting overall organizational growth.

Concerns About Senior Talent Retention

The Risks of a Top-Heavy Organization

• A pessimistic view suggests that senior individual contributors (ICs) may eventually retire or leave, creating gaps in organizational maturity and development.

• This situation is likened to a basketball team with high-profile players who, after losing a championship, leave the team without future prospects or depth in talent.

Short-Term Hiring Strategies

• Companies often prioritize hiring senior ICs for immediate results, which can be shortsighted as it neglects long-term organizational health.

• Hiring managers may focus on their tenure rather than investing in junior talent whose contributions will materialize after they leave.

The Importance of Diverse Experience Levels

• Encouraging hiring managers to consider more junior talent and people managers can lead to healthier organizations with diverse experiences.

• A mix of experience levels fosters resilience during transitions and helps maintain continuity within teams.

Future Implications for Talent Gaps

• The lack of internship programs and junior roles could lead to significant talent shortages in the next 5 to 10 years.

• In rapidly evolving fields like AI, having a broad range of experiences is crucial for innovation and problem-solving.

The Value of Fresh Perspectives

Embracing New Approaches

• Hiring managers should seek candidates who bring fresh perspectives, especially those who have been educated with modern tools like ChatGPT.

• Engaging individuals with varying levels of experience can yield innovative solutions through collaborative conflict resolution.

Thinking Beyond Immediate Needs

• Companies must recognize the importance of thinking beyond current needs when hiring; diversity should include years of experience as well as demographic factors.

Advice for Job Seekers Today

Skills Development Recommendations

• Candidates should focus on developing skills relevant to their aspirations while also embracing vulnerability by sharing their work publicly.

Job Searching and Networking Strategies

Embracing Vulnerability in Job Searching

• The speaker emphasizes the importance of being open to critique and iterating on one's portfolio website, highlighting that visibility is crucial for recognition.

• Acknowledges the competitive nature of job opportunities; even if one doesn't secure every position applied for, persistence is key.

• Encourages candidates to accept rejection as part of the process and to focus on building a network rather than worrying about negative feedback from social media.

Building a Strong Network

• Stresses that effective job searching begins with a well-cultivated network, suggesting that networking should be an ongoing effort rather than episodic.

• Advises against waiting until a job search is imminent to start networking; consistent engagement will yield better results over time.

The Art of Cold Emailing

• Highlights the value of cold emailing as a lost art; encourages candidates to reach out directly to individuals whose jobs they admire instead of focusing solely on companies.

• Suggests creating a list of 100 people in the industry who inspire you, emphasizing personal connections over company names.

Persistence Pays Off

• Recommends sending emails without expecting immediate responses; even low response rates can lead to future opportunities when contacts remember your outreach later.

• Notes that many desirable positions are filled through personal connections before they are publicly posted, underscoring the importance of proactive networking.

Maintaining Positivity and Constructive Engagement

• Urges candidates to remain positive and constructive in their outreach efforts, avoiding negativity on platforms like LinkedIn while seeking feedback on their work.

• Discusses how vulnerability can be beneficial throughout one's career by fostering genuine connections and trust within professional networks.

Leveraging AI Literacy Publicly

• Explores the idea of sharing knowledge about AI openly as it becomes increasingly relevant in various fields; suggests using different formats (writing, video, etc.) based on individual roles.

• Affirms that demonstrating AI literacy publicly can enhance visibility and credibility within one's professional community.

Understanding the Value of AI Skills in Design

The Importance of Side Projects

• Companies value skills related to AI, but many struggle to effectively vet these abilities in candidates.

• Engaging in side projects demonstrates curiosity and initiative, setting candidates apart from those with standard portfolios.

Building Case Studies

• Candidates without AI experience at previous jobs can create case studies based on personal projects, showcasing their problem-solving skills.

• Personal project case studies should follow a structured approach similar to professional ones, detailing challenges and impacts.

Navigating the Job Market

• In a competitive job market flooded with applicants, hiring managers often face challenges finding suitable candidates.

• Despite the turbulent environment, there are exciting developments within the design field that merit attention.

Exciting Trends in Design

Quality and Differentiation

• The quality of product design is expected to improve significantly; however, differentiation will become crucial as many products reach high standards.

• Brand storytelling will play a vital role in distinguishing companies when product quality becomes uniformly excellent.

Resurgence of Industrial Design

• There is an anticipated resurgence in industrial design projects across various sectors like micro-mobility and robotics.

• This trend reflects a growing interest in physical products and innovative designs that enhance user interaction.

Future Interactions with Technology

New Opportunities for Interaction Design

• The evolution of robotics presents new opportunities for designing interactions between users and autonomous entities.

• Innovations such as advanced robotic vacuums highlight the potential for creating more sophisticated autonomous devices.

The Future of Industrial Design in Robotics

Investment in Research and Development

• The speaker highlights a significant investment in research and development within the robotics sector, indicating a promising future for industrial design.

• Emphasizes that effective design is not only about functionality but also aesthetics, suggesting that beautiful objects can enhance user experience.

The Role of Design Beyond Aesthetics

• The discussion points out that while beauty is important, the core of design lies in functionality—how products work for users.

• Encourages companies to prioritize design early on to ensure their products meet user needs effectively, rather than focusing solely on visual appeal.

Trends and Future Outlook

• The speaker expresses hope for a positive trend where startups recognize the importance of investing in design as part of their hiring plans moving forward.