What skills will the designer of the future need?

On January 7th, the World Economic Forum’s Future Jobs Report 2025 ranked graphic design among the fastest-declining professions for the next five years (2025–2030). In contrast to the previous report, where the role of the graphic designer wasn’t even mentioned, this year’s forecast reflects the significant impact of AI over the past year. This presents a rather sobering and concerning outlook for our profession.

On the other hand, we also want to reassure our readers—and ourselves—because history has shown that new technologies, such as the computer, initially raise fears of job displacement but ultimately become tools guided by human intellect. Of course, we can’t definitively predict the future, but we can discuss it and explore ways to "survive" in this evolving landscape while continuing to practice our craft.

We chose to address this topic because it is both relevant and complex, offering multiple perspectives. However, rather than dwelling on negativity, we want to consider how designers can remain relevant and what essential skills will shape the future of our profession.

1. The importance of self-expression

In a saturated visual landscape, we firmly believe in self-expression. Rather than blindly following trends, designers should strive to communicate their own ideas—ideas that, while informed by mood boards, research, and process, are ultimately interpreted through a personal lens.

At Pittogramma, we studied at traditional institutions like IUAV Università di Venezia and IED Rome during an era when branding wasn’t a buzzword, and logos and visual identities were expected to last forever. Books like The Vignelli Canon by Massimo Vignelli or Disegno industriale: un riesame by Tomás Maldonado were essential reading because industrial design and the standardisation of outputs were central to every project.

Along our journey, we discovered what we truly enjoyed and how we wanted to approach this discipline. Nothing is more important than self-expression—being yourself. As we often mention during our talks, Pittogramma allows us to express creativity that is often constrained by client work. It enables us to make decisions that make us happy and reflect our vision as designers. The great thing is that anyone can have their own version of Pittogramma—a space where they can freely create.

2. Versatility over specialization

To introduce this point, we reference Massimo Vignelli’s famous quote:

"If you can design one thing, you can design everything."

This statement carries profound significance and, in our view, should be a guiding principle for design education. Today, a designer cannot afford to be confined to a single niche. Of course, if you aspire to work for a publisher, mastering editorial design is essential—but that doesn’t mean you should limit yourself to just that.

We need to move beyond hyper-specialization and focus on the design process itself. A key example is branding: as a brand designer, your role isn’t just to create a logo but to collaborate with the client to define their needs, processes, strategies, and ambitions. The goal is to design an evolutionary path for the brand—where rebranding isn’t just about aesthetics but about creating an engine that propels the company forward.

As you can see, we’re talking about big-picture thinking. This means that designers must be truly multidisciplinary and versatile. The core takeaway is this: understand the fundamental principles of design, regardless of the medium you’re working with.

3. Continuous learning and staying updated

Our final point may seem obvious, but it’s worth emphasizing: never stop learning.

Staying updated doesn’t mean casually browsing inspiration websites or scrolling through Instagram boards. What we mean is developing at least a basic understanding of emerging technologies and their potential applications. You don’t need to master every new tool, but—connecting to our previous point—if you’re leading a project or collaborating with specialists, your ability to guide and communicate ideas effectively depends on knowing what’s feasible and what’s not.

Conclusion: How to stay relevant as a designer

To summarize, staying relevant doesn’t mean becoming an "AI designer" or jumping on every trend. Instead, we recommend:

1. Developing a strong personal style – Express yourself so that your work stands out and feels authentic to you.
2. Becoming a 360-degree designer – Aim to design across different disciplines rather than being confined to a single niche.
3. Staying informed about new technologies – Not necessarily mastering them, but understanding their possibilities to propose innovative solutions.

By following these principles, designers can continue to evolve, push boundaries, and provide meaningful contributions to the future of our industry.