Dylan Field, co-founder and CEO of Figma, has observed a noteworthy trend in the professional landscape where the roles of designer, engineer, and researcher are increasingly converging.
Having led Figma from a concept to a publicly traded company with a workforce exceeding 1,600, Field noted on “Lenny’s Podcast” that many employees are now exploring responsibilities beyond their specific roles. He emphasized that the influence of AI is rendering traditional job titles less significant.
“We are witnessing a blending of roles among designers, engineers, product managers, and researchers in the product development cycle,” Field stated, indicating that this trend should gain momentum over the next five years.
According to research conducted by Figma, 72% of respondents identified AI tools as a key factor in the diversification of job roles. “AI is prompting individuals to embrace a more generalist approach,” Field remarked.
AI is encouraging professionals to push the boundaries of their careers. Tasks that previously demanded intricate coding skills can now be accomplished through simpler design tools, allowing those without an engineering background to engage in more technical activities. Consequently, many employers are prioritizing workforce “upskilling.”
In Figma’s recent survey, 56% of respondents who do not identify as designers reported being heavily involved in design tasks—a notable increase from 44% the previous year, according to Field.
Fifty-three percent of Figma’s participants expressed that profound expertise is essential to perform tasks effectively, even with the assistance of AI. Field found this statistic intriguing, as it reflects a growing tendency towards versatility.
When host Lenny Rachitsky asked for his insights, Field concluded, “We are all product builders, and while some are specialized in their areas, the line between roles is increasingly blurring.
window.allScripts = window.allScripts || []; window.allScripts.push({ type: “gdpr”, script: “%3Cscript%20id%3D%22meta-pixel-script%22%20%3E(()%3D%3E%7Bvar%20e%3D%7B69531%3A()%3D%3E%7B!function()%7Bvar%20e%2Ct%2Cr%2Cn%2Co%2Ci%3Bfunction%20a()%7Bwindow.Fenrir%3F.cm%3F.usPrivacyApplies%26%26window.Fenrir%3F.cm%3F.isOptedOutOfAds%3Ffbq(%22dataProcessingOptions%22%2C%5B%22LDU%22%5D%2C0%2C0)%3Afbq(%22dataProcessingOptions%22%2C%5B%5D)%2Cfbq(%22init%22%2C%221988166924554892%22)%2Cfbq(%22track%22%2C%22PageView%22)%7Ddocument.querySelectorAll(‘iframe%5Bsrc*%3D%22jwplayer%22%5D’).length%7C%7C(e%3Dwindow%2Ct%3Ddocument%2Cr%3D%22script%22%2Ce.fbq%7C%7C(n%3De.fbq%3Dfunction()%7Bn.callMethod%3Fn.callMethod.apply(n%2Carguments)%3An.queue.push(arguments)%7D%2Ce._fbq%7C%7C(e._fbq%3Dn)%2Cn.push%3Dn%2Cn.loaded%3D!0%2Cn.version%3D%222.0%22%2Cn.queue%3D%5B%5D%2C(o%3Dt.createElement(r)).async%3D!0%2Co.src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fconnect.facebook.net%2Fen_US%2Ffbevents.js%22%2C(i%3Dt.getElementsByTagName(r)%5B0%5D).parentNode.insertBefore(o%2Ci))%2Cwindow.Fenrir%3F.cm%3F.cmStarted%3Fa()%3AsetTimeout(a%2C1e3))%7D()%7D%7D%2Ct%3D%7B%7D%3Bfunction%20r(n)%7Bvar%20o%3Dt%5Bn%5D%3Bif(void%200!%3D%3Do)return%20o.exports%3Bvar%20i%3Dt%5Bn%5D%3D%7Bexports%3A%7B%7D%7D%3Breturn%20e%5Bn%5D(i%2Ci.exports%2Cr)%2Ci.exports%7Dr.m%3De%2Cr.c%3Dt%2Cr.o%3D(e%2Ct)%3D%3EObject.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(e%2Ct)%2C(()%3D%3E%7Br.S%3D%7B%7D%3Bvar%20e%3D%7B%7D%2Ct%3D%7B%7D%3Br.I%3D(n%2Co)%3D%3E%7Bo%7C%7C(o%3D%5B%5D)%3Bvar%20i%3Dt%5Bn%5D%3Bif(i%7C%7C(i%3Dt%5Bn%5D%3D%7B%7D)%2C!(o.indexOf(i)%3E%3D0))%7Bif(o.push(i)%2Ce%5Bn%5D)return%20e%5Bn%5D%3Br.o(r.S%2Cn)%7C%7C(r.S%5Bn%5D%3D%7B%7D)%3Br.S%5Bn%5D%3Bvar%20a%3D%5B%5D%3Breturn%20a.length%3Fe%5Bn%5D%3DPromise.all(a).then(()%3D%3Ee%5Bn%5D%3D1)%3Ae%5Bn%5D%3D1%7D%7D%7D)()%3Br(69531)%7D)()%3B%3C%2Fscript%3E” });
### Hustle Verdict
Our take is that the blending of roles reflects a significant shift in the industry dynamic, where versatility is becoming essential. We believe this trend will encourage organizations to focus on cultivating a diverse skill set within their teams, ultimately driving innovation. The bottom line is that as professionals embrace generalist capabilities, the nature of product development will evolve, likely leading to more agile and responsive teams.
