Reflecting on how AI is reshaping design careers — why mastering problem-solving, not just tools, is key to thriving in a shifting industry.
Returning to Miami for the Friends of Figma (FoF) Miami event felt like a full-circle moment for me. This city was my first home in the U.S., and now I found myself back during one of the most transformative eras in technology: the rise of AI. In the years since I last walked these streets, artificial intelligence has exploded onto the scene, dramatically altering how we work and create. The pace of change can feel overwhelming, but as I shared in my talk, it’s also a source of unprecedented opportunity for those willing to adapt and grow.
The Overwhelming Pace of Change (and Opportunity)
Every week it seems there’s a new AI tool, a new workflow, or a new paradigm in design. This rapid pace of change is enough to make any designer’s head spin. I saw it in the audience’s eyes during the talk — the mix of excitement and uncertainty about what AI means for our careers. It’s true: keeping up can be hard. But here’s the flip side of the coin — never before have we had so many chances to reinvent ourselves and our skill sets. The same technology that feels destabilizing can become our launchpad. By shifting our mindset, we can see change not as chaos to fear, but as fuel for growth.
I spoke about how this AI revolution, despite its challenges, is an opportunity in disguise. Yes, automation might handle more routine tasks, and yes, some skills we mastered a year ago might suddenly feel outdated. But designers who embrace learning can ride this wave and even steer it. Instead of being paralyzed by the speed of change, we can choose to surf it — continuously picking up new skills and perspectives. When we do, we often find more doors opening: new kinds of projects, interdisciplinary roles, and creative solutions that didn’t exist before. In short, the AI era can be overwhelming, but it’s also a playground for the adaptable and the curious.
Designing with Intention: Focus on the Value You Deliver
One key theme of the talk was intentionality in design. With all the flashy new tools and AI features, it’s easy to get distracted by how we design and lose sight of why we design. I encouraged everyone to step back and ask: What value am I really delivering here? Whether you’re crafting a user interface or building a brand, designing with intention means focusing on the problems you’re solving and the people you’re helping. It’s about being deliberate with our choices so that every design decision ladders up to a meaningful outcome.
This idea became especially clear to me in my own career journey. A few years back, I went through a tough period — I faced several rejections and even lost two jobs in a row. It was a humbling experience that forced me to reevaluate what I was doing and why. Instead of giving up, I doubled down on learning with intention and started a side project addressing a real need I was passionate about. (As it turns out, that side project grew into my full-time business.) Rebuilding momentum through intentional learning and reinvention not only got my career back on track, it reshaped my whole approach . I realized that when you focus on being useful — solving real problems, providing genuine value — opportunities eventually follow. In fact, I reminded the FoF Miami audience that the most valuable thing a designer can be is useful . Trends will come and go, but if you never lose sight of delivering value, your work will always matter to someone.
Skill Flux: Navigating Constant Skill Change
Next, we dove into the concept of “Skill Flux.” This term captures the reality that in today’s tech landscape, skills have a shorter shelf life than ever. We’re in an age where a design technique or software trick that was hot a couple of years ago might be obsolete now. (Remember when mastering Flash or jQuery was a huge deal? Times change fast.) In fact, some experts have noted we’re entering a “skill flux era” where the half-life of technical skills has collapsed to just about 2.5 years . That means what you know today could be less relevant by the time you fully master it. It’s a dizzying thought — and for many of us, it’s a source of anxiety.
However, understanding skill flux can actually empower us. Knowing that our hard skills might expire quickly encourages us not to cling too tightly to any single tool or technique. Instead, we need to fall in love with learning itself. In the talk, I joked that being a designer now is a bit like being a perpetual student — there’s always homework! But seriously, acknowledging constant change as the new normal prepares us mentally. We can start viewing our career not as a linear path of accumulating static expertise, but as a dynamic journey of continuous evolution. When you accept that flux is part of the game, you free yourself to explore more and fear change less. After all, if change is the only constant, then adaptability becomes the most critical skill of all.
Surge Skilling: Continuous Daily Improvement
So, how do we deal with skill flux? The answer is what I like to call “Surge Skilling.” Surge skilling is about committing to rapid, continuous learning — essentially, making learning a habit and priority every single day. Instead of the old model of education (learn once, work for decades), it’s a cycle of always be learning, unlearning, and relearning. This doesn’t mean you need to enroll in endless formal courses or burn out trying to chase every trend. It can be as simple as setting aside a bit of time each day or week to expand your horizons. For example, you might:
- Read an article or chapter about a new design concept or technology.
- Watch a tutorial on an emerging Figma feature or an AI tool.
- Experiment with a small side-project to practice a skill in a hands-on way.
- Reflect on feedback from peers or users and identify one thing to improve in your work.
The idea is to build a learning rhythm into your life. By “surging” in short, focused bursts of skill acquisition, you stay ready for whatever changes come next. In our discussion, we noted that companies and teams are starting to value this ability highly — the next competitive edge is how quickly you can learn and apply new skills . It’s no longer just “What do you know?” but “How fast can you learn what you need to know?” I shared with the audience an insight from the tech industry: organizations are now racing to help their employees adapt, as “surge skilling” becomes essential for survival. In other words, continuous learners are in demand. When you make a habit of daily improvement, you not only keep up — you set yourself apart as someone who can thrive in any environment.
Importantly, surge skilling also shifts how we see ourselves as professionals. Instead of defining ourselves by a fixed skill set (“I am a UX designer who knows Sketch and Figma”), we define ourselves by our adaptability (“I am a designer who can quickly pick up whatever tool or skill is needed”). As one futurist put it, we’re moving from an “I am what I know” mindset to an “I am what I adapt” mindset. Embracing this outlook is liberating. It means you’re never stuck as long as you’re willing to learn. Your value isn’t in the specific tools you mastered last year — it’s in your capacity to continuously evolve and contribute in new ways.
🛠️ Tools Are Just Tools: Master the Craft, Not the Toolset 🧰
With AI and ever more software flooding our workflows, it’s easy to get caught up in the tool hype. Designers often ask, “Should I master this new tool? Will it secure my future?” But one of the grounding truths I’ve learned is that tools are just tools. They’re means to an end, not the end itself. Mastery in design isn’t about memorizing every feature of Figma or becoming a whiz at the latest AI image generator. Mastery is knowing how to solve problems. If you have that, you can pick up any new tool as needed. On the flip side, if you lack the core design thinking and understanding of user needs, no fancy app or AI will save your project. As one designer aptly said, “Figma doesn’t make you a designer. … Tools are just that — tools. Without the right knowledge, they’re pointless. With the right knowledge, they become powerful.” . I couldn’t agree more.
Reflecting on my journey, I see how tool-agnostic thinking helped me survive the big shifts. Early in my career, I fretted over not knowing the software du jour. (I’m old enough to have witnessed the great Sketch vs. Figma debates, and now some are debating design AI vs. Figma!) But the truth is, over the years I’ve used everything from Adobe Photoshop to Sketch to Figma to Webflow, and dabbled with AI design assistants too. Each time, there was a learning curve — but because I focused on underlying skills like UX principles, visual hierarchy, communication, and code basics, I could climb those curves faster. It’s like a seasoned woodworker who can pick up a new chisel and quickly get the hang of it because they already know how to craft wood. The tools may change, but the craft remains.
This is a reassuring thought: you don’t have to chase every single new tool frantically. Instead, focus on the fundamentals and on understanding problems deeply. When a new tool comes along, approach it with curiosity — does it help me solve a problem better or faster? If yes, great, add it to your toolbox. If not, it’s okay to set it aside. In my case, I embraced no-code tools and automation software when building DOJO+ because they helped solve my clients’ problems faster (e.g., automating their sign-up process). But I also said “no” to a couple of hyped AI tools that would auto-generate UI layouts, because I found they didn’t align with the bespoke experiences I needed to craft. Remember, the goal is to serve the user or client, not to impress other designers with how many tools you can juggle. At the end of the day, clients rarely ask “What software did you use?” They care about “Did you solve my problem?”.
By keeping tools in their proper place, we maintain control of our creative process. We become problem solvers first and software users second. This mindset not only makes us more resilient to change (because we’re not overly attached to any one tool), but it also keeps us focused on what truly matters: delivering value through design.
Thriving Through Intention and Adaptability
As I concluded my FoF Miami talk, I felt a sense of optimism in the room. Yes, the AI era is shaking things up. It’s changing job descriptions, workflows, and even how we define our roles. But it’s also a chance for each of us to reimagine our career paths with fresh eyes. The core message I hoped everyone walked away with is that we have to be proactive participants in our own career design. By learning to design with intention (focusing on meaningful value) and embracing adaptability (through concepts like surge skilling), we equip ourselves to not only survive in a shifting industry, but to truly thrive. We become confident that no matter what tool comes out tomorrow, or what trend sweeps the industry next month, we’ll find a way to leverage it or learn it if it helps us solve a real problem.
Standing there in Miami, I was struck by how much the design community has grown and how resilient it is. The fact that so many people showed up to discuss these topics tells me that as designers, we’re ready to lead in this new age of AI, not just follow. We’re asking the right questions: How can I be more useful? How can I keep learning? How can I design a career that doesn’t just react to change, but uses it as creative energy? These reflections are how we’ll navigate the uncertainty ahead.
For those who missed the talk or want to dive deeper, I invite you to watch the recording on the Friends of Figma Miami YouTube channel. It captures the full conversation, examples, and Q&A from that inspiring night. More importantly, I invite you to join the conversation. What are your thoughts on designing a career in the age of AI? Have you felt the pressure of skill flux, or found strategies to keep growing? Feel free to share your reflections or questions in the comments. By learning from each other’s experiences, we can all continue to grow intentionally. After all, our careers are the ultimate design projects — and with the right mindset, we can craft them to not just withstand the future, but to shape it.