How to Lead Design Teams Through the AI Era | Figma Blog

Jen Dunnam argues that design leaders should respond to AI-driven change with calm, deliberate experimentation rather than panic. The fundamentals of design remain human-centered, so teams should prioritize clear thinking, strong principles, and the ability to turn insights into products. Her approach emphasizes investing in emerging talent while hiring and developing designers who can challenge assumptions.

Lead with Calm

• Leaders should steady their teams instead of adding to the urgency already felt by ambitious designers.
• Break AI-related change into manageable steps:
  • Choose an approach.
  • Experiment with appropriate tools.
  • Refine design principles.
  • Learn from the results.
• Designers should avoid chasing every new capability simply because it is novel or impressive.
• AI may transform workflows, but designing for human needs remains the central responsibility.

Hire for Critical Thinking

• Dunnam would invest more heavily in designers fresh out of school, many of whom are disadvantaged by today’s pressure to ship quickly.
• Pair early-career designers with experienced practitioners who can help turn ideas into shippable products.
• Look for researchers who can move beyond gathering insights and contribute decisively to product direction.
• Critical thinking has become especially valuable as AI tools make polished but potentially shallow solutions easier to produce.
• Interviewers should ask candidates:
  • Where did they disagree with a stakeholder?
  • How did they push back?
  • What product decision still bothers them?
• These questions reveal whether candidates can challenge attractive but poorly reasoned solutions.

Dunnam’s practical recommendation is to keep teams grounded in human-centered design, combine emerging and experienced talent, and hire people with the judgment to question what appears easy, polished, or technologically exciting.