The future of design is being reshaped by artificial intelligence, yet Dylan Field, co-founder of Figma, reminds us that the discipline remains profoundly human. AI today is not a full creative decision-maker but a tool that enhances efficiency. It can generate icons, layouts, or colour variations, but the final decisions about aesthetics, usability, and meaning still lie firmly with the designer.
Design itself has also become more collaborative. Where once designers worked alone and presented polished outcomes for approval, platforms like Figma now enable real-time collaboration between designers, engineers, and product managers. This shift has turned design into a collective practice, with continuous feedback and iteration at its core.
AI is lowering the barrier to entry, while at the same time giving experts more power to push boundaries. This dual movement, making design seemingly more accessible while raising the ceiling of what is possible, reflecting the changing role of technology in creative work.
Speed is another defining factor of the new design landscape. Startups cannot afford to spend years perfecting products before release. Instead, launching early, learning from real users, and refining continuously is the path to success. Figma itself followed this approach, refining its multiplayer collaboration feature after its initial launch, based on user demand.
In a world where anyone can build software, it is great design that makes the difference. The enduring success of companies like Apple comes not from technical superiority alone, but from design that feels intuitive, premium, and effortless. Yet despite progress, AI-generated design remains limited. While algorithms seem to be able to produce entire layouts or websites, they often lack hierarchy, clarity and genuine creativity, areas where human designers excel.
Here the voice of Pontus Wärnestål offers an essential counterpoint and expansion. In his work as a researcher, educator, and author of Designing AI-Powered Services, he argues that design’s true value in the age of AI lies not just in shaping interfaces, but in shaping human–technology relations. Field reminds us that AI cannot replace designers, but Wärnestål pushes the argument further: designers must take responsibility for the broader systems that emerge from our choices. It is not enough to design usable tools; we must also design for trust, fairness, and long-term impact.
He stresses that AI-driven design cannot be reduced to aesthetics and efficiency. The ethical dimension is inseparable from the creative one. Designers today are asked not only to solve usability challenges but also to anticipate how technologies will affect individuals, communities, and societies. Wärnestål encourages a shift from short-term thinking to what he calls future-facing design practice, in which we consider both immediate interaction and downstream consequences.
This perspective complements Field’s emphasis on iteration and collaboration. Where Figma succeeded by solving a pressing need for teamwork, Wärnestål would highlight how that success also depended on designing responsibly for inclusion and scalability. The lesson is that product–market fit must be paired with societal fit, ensuring that innovations enrich lives rather than exploit them.
Looking forward, the way we interact with AI will undoubtedly evolve. Field foresees a move away from text-based prompts towards more visual, intuitive interactions. Wärnestål agrees but frames this as a question of agency: will future systems empower people to shape outcomes, or will they subtly erode human control in the name of convenience? Designers must be vigilant stewards, ensuring that human creativity is augmented, not diminished, by machine intelligence.
The future of design, then, is not about replacing humans with machines. It is about deepening collaboration between people, across disciplines and increasingly, between humans and AI. Dylan Field shows us how AI can enhance efficiency and creativity, while Pontus Wärnestål reminds us that the responsibility of design extends beyond tools to the very fabric of society. Designers who embrace both perspectives will be best placed to shape experiences that are not only functional and beautiful, but also ethical, sustainable and deeply human.
References
- Field, Dylan. The Future of Design. Talk at Y Combinator, 2023.
- Wärnestål, Pontus. Designing AI-Powered Services. O’Reilly Media, 2021.
- Wärnestål, Pontus. “Human-Centred AI: Designing for Trust, Transparency, and Ethics.” Research papers and lectures, Halmstad University, Sweden.
- Norman, Don. The Design of Everyday Things. MIT Press, 2013
- Johnson, Jeffrey Alan. Designing with Data: Improving the User Experience with A/B Testing. O’Reilly Media, 2014.
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