# The Coolest, Rad(est) Designers are doing .... what? **URL:** \ **Category:** Growing your career\ **Created:** [May 26, 2026, 8:53pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/the-coolest-rad-est-designers-are-doing-what/719 "2026-05-26T20:53:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nathaliesmith](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.zurb.com/nathaliesmith/32/443_2.png) [@nathaliesmith](https://forum.zurb.com/u/nathaliesmith)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2026, 8:53pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/the-coolest-rad-est-designers-are-doing-what/719/1 "2026-05-26T20:53:13Z")
I know you **haven’t** heard it here first, but I’ll be another person to say it. The modern product designer role is changing… and _fast._ 😅 With the introduction of AI, (at warp speed lol) AI can generate mockups, prototypes, copy - you name it. The production pieces are taken care of. In our world, we believe that product designers who survive this shift will be systems thinkers, facilitators, researchers, strategists, and signal interpreters. The new wave product designer increasingly becomes the person helping teams learn what direction is actually worth pursuing vs going off to execute. Things that are getting us excited right now: - AI Skills - Heuristics - AI orchestration - Rapid Iteration - Prompt engineering for product thinking **What’s skills are getting you and your team most excited right now?** @ben @Bryan what am I missing - what other pieces are getting us PUMPED right now? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.zurb.com/bryan/32/448_2.png) [@Bryan](https://forum.zurb.com/u/Bryan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2026, 3:21pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/the-coolest-rad-est-designers-are-doing-what/719/2 "2026-05-27T15:21:43Z")
Good stuff. This recent survey from the Designer Fund captures a lot of the changes happening > **[AI in Design Report 2026](https://stateofaidesign.com/)** > > The second annual report by Designer Fund and Foundation Capital on how design teams are adapting to AI across tooling, craft, and org. This chart seems to highlight areas of opportunity to support teams. ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/uploads/helio/original/2X/f/ff72a03aaf32e4b8308999cfb387255a50f29bcc.png) We’re aligning Glare for this shift because it treats: - AI as workflow tooling to support better work - humans as “judgment” systems - design signals as validation systems Also, the report repeatedly speaks to the design becoming more systemic: - cross-functional - operational - behavioral - organizational - workflow-driven These are the areas that Glare can help teams as these move from solo AI contributors to teams integrating into systems using AI. ---
**Author:** ![nathaliesmith](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.zurb.com/nathaliesmith/32/443_2.png) [@nathaliesmith](https://forum.zurb.com/u/nathaliesmith)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2026, 11:04pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/the-coolest-rad-est-designers-are-doing-what/719/3 "2026-05-27T23:04:34Z")
Okay, this is an incredible line up! It’s a nice reminder that the human judgement pieces don’t go away in these scenarios. I guess technically, they’re more valuable now more than ever 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![nathaliesmith](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.zurb.com/nathaliesmith/32/443_2.png) [@nathaliesmith](https://forum.zurb.com/u/nathaliesmith)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2026, 11:13pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/the-coolest-rad-est-designers-are-doing-what/719/4 "2026-05-27T23:13:50Z")
Also, I like how this showcases leaning on communities of practice, another refreshing reminder that we’re all navigating this together & let’s not lose our sense of learning from one another along the way. ![Screenshot 2026-05-27 at 4.09.06 PM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/uploads/helio/original/2X/c/cb95e1900a5a8773ba54e71f323fd743ec16fcde.png) ---
**Author:** ![ben](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.zurb.com/ben/32/442_2.png) [@ben](https://forum.zurb.com/u/ben)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2026, 1:02am UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/the-coolest-rad-est-designers-are-doing-what/719/5 "2026-05-28T01:02:31Z")
My favorite part about this is how ideas can now expand bigger, faster. I love looking at this from building a video game perspective. I’ve always had some very interesting ideas, and wants out of a video game (I absolutely love zombie 🧟‍♂️ games). Before AI, I honestly never thought I’d ever be able to build one. Now, after experimenting with Claude Building some very simple 2D games. I already know that this is actually something within my reach. Things that used to take hundreds of thousands of hours are getting compacted and compressed down into something that takes a couple of guys in their garage to do something truly amazing. Tools will keep improving. AI will improve. Everything software-wise should keep improving at a rapid rate, thus extending even into the physical realm by software enhancements. People who did not have access before to particular technologies, to the resources required to do these larger things, are now possible. Really, really, really excited to see what the future will bring! ---
**Author:** ![nathaliesmith](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.zurb.com/nathaliesmith/32/443_2.png) [@nathaliesmith](https://forum.zurb.com/u/nathaliesmith)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2026, 5:56pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/the-coolest-rad-est-designers-are-doing-what/719/6 "2026-06-01T17:56:36Z")
@ben you’re building video games now?! A man of many talents. But in all seriousness, I totally agree with everything you’ve said here, it’s an exciting time! I’d be curious to our designers / product folks out here – what skills are you deeming as most valuable currently? @sol_mesz @Kike_Pena @ben_christine ---
**Author:** ![Kike\_Pena](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.zurb.com/kike_pena/32/896_2.png) [@Kike\_Pena](https://forum.zurb.com/u/Kike_Pena)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2026, 9:26pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/the-coolest-rad-est-designers-are-doing-what/719/7 "2026-06-01T21:26:45Z")
High communication skills and imagination! These two sound obvious, but somehow they were underrated as creative skills due to “the latest technology” or the trendy framework from the “X” company. Now having THE powerful tool (AI) in town, the challenge is not about building interfaces only, but how to communicate ideas to build great solutions (systems) and using your imagination to connect needs with opportunities; the discussion now is not about the craft, it is about how far we as designers can connect abilities (creative and technical) to show our new business value. Make sense? ---
**Author:** ![ben](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.zurb.com/ben/32/442_2.png) [@ben](https://forum.zurb.com/u/ben)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 5:46pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/the-coolest-rad-est-designers-are-doing-what/719/8 "2026-06-02T17:46:20Z")
> [@Kike\_Pena](#): > > High communication skills and imagination! These two sound obvious, but somehow they were underrated as creative skills due to “the latest technology” or the trendy framework from the “X” company. Greatly said. Also, obvious things are never so obvious. There’s an exorbitant amount of “fog” out there, blinding people and spinning them into a daze. It’s also interesting how understanding things deeply creates a huge amount of leverage, especially within the AI world. Psychology, communication, and even being an opportunist makes this all 10x better. ---
**Author:** ![nathaliesmith](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.zurb.com/nathaliesmith/32/443_2.png) [@nathaliesmith](https://forum.zurb.com/u/nathaliesmith)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 9:11pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/the-coolest-rad-est-designers-are-doing-what/719/9 "2026-06-02T21:11:22Z")
Makes perfect sense! Its almost like, AI is making soft skills more valuable than ever? 🤪 I’m here for it. Appreciate your POV! ---
**Author:** ![Kike\_Pena](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.zurb.com/kike_pena/32/896_2.png) [@Kike\_Pena](https://forum.zurb.com/u/Kike_Pena)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 9:25pm UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/the-coolest-rad-est-designers-are-doing-what/719/10 "2026-06-02T21:25:10Z")
Someone once said to me: High technology will make us appreciate more human things _(it is also printed in every cyberpunk movie LOL)_ ---
**Author:** ![Bryan](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.zurb.com/bryan/32/448_2.png) [@Bryan](https://forum.zurb.com/u/Bryan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2026, 4:44am UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/the-coolest-rad-est-designers-are-doing-what/719/11 "2026-06-10T04:44:32Z")
> [@Kike\_Pena](#): > > High technology will make us appreciate more human things _(it is also printed in every cyberpunk movie LOL)_ Haha. Yes…Craft, Taste, Judgment… I guess these “human” words are becoming more like other AI-overused words. These, to me, are just nuances _of decisions._ Layer whatever human part you want onto it. It’s funny how this report is calling it the messy middle, but I think that’s just because people don’t really understand their own creative process. Or how it fits in a business. Cyperpunk is rebelling, but it’s not always clear what the rebellion is all about. More like a mood. 🙂 > **[State of the Designer 2026: Designers Are Leaning Into the Messy Middle |...](https://www.figma.com/blog/state-of-the-designer-2026/)** > > Our State of the Designer report explores how designers are balancing uncertainty with optimism and using AI to uplevel their craft. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forum.zurb.com/bryan/32/448_2.png) [@Bryan](https://forum.zurb.com/u/Bryan)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2026, 4:18am UTC](https://forum.zurb.com/t/the-coolest-rad-est-designers-are-doing-what/719/12 "2026-07-14T04:18:53Z")
This SignalFire report is interesting for its trends. Seems like design has taken a hit. At early-stage startups, the gap is even starker: engineering hiring is **actually** **up 7%** , while **design is down 22% and marketing is down 18%**. ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/uploads/helio/original/2X/7/7ca7407fdb3ec830604c7df54364c286de0cf0b0.jpeg) ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/uploads/helio/original/2X/8/8600ed862aba6a5741d687d29a1408e93d3932ce.jpeg) Here’s the full report: > **[SignalFire's State of Tech Talent Report - 2026](https://www.signalfire.com/blog/signalfire-state-of-talent-report-2026)** > > Flatter, leaner, more technical - The new shape of tech companies in 2026. Read SignalFire's 2026 State of Tech Talent Report to discover how AI is reshaping tech hiring, why engineers are more in demand, and how the modern org chart is flattening.