The playbook to hiring designers in 2026

The design hiring market has been wild. I’ve spoken about this from a candidate’s point of view. There’s a huge juxtaposition, and it’s not getting better: on one hand you have designers who get multiple offers and constant inbound; on the other, great people are out of work for 6–12 months.

From a company’s perspective, 2025 continued to expose a gap between what companies think they’re hiring for, what designers think companies want, what hiring managers can get signals for in interviews, and what internal comp teams are willing to pay for.

Demand for design has never been higher, from Meta, OpenAI and Samsung making huge design leadership hires through to most companies reshaping their teams, to a 2‑person start‑up investing in brand and looking for a founding designer earlier than ever.

The demand on designers is huge.

TL;DR:

• Many companies ran into the same problems. They needed “Super IC” unicorn designers, did not know what top designers actually earn, ran long, outdated interview processes, and were too slow and too vague when selling and closing.

• Underneath it all was a more fundamental issue: many teams went to market without a clear view of what they actually wanted. They tried to hire a new type of designer with an old playbook.

• Hiring top-tier designers is not about volume. It’s about being targeted, intentional, knowing what you want and and being willing to pay for it.

  
  

What happened in 2025?

Most companies ran into the same problems:

• They needed “Super IC” unicorn designers who can do everything, really well.

• They did not know what top designers actually earn, so they tried to hire talent they could not realistically afford.

• They ran long, outdated interview processes that turn off great talent.

• They were too slow and too vague when it came to selling the role and closing.

There fundamental issue many companies went to market without a clear view of what they actually wanted, so they wasted a lot of time interviewing people.

What great looks like in 2026

Different roles. Same underlying traits. The labels diverge; the behaviours rhyme.

Product design ICs

The future‑proof product designer looks like this:

• AI‑native builder, not a tool dabbler: Uses AI as part of the workflow, not as a novelty, and knows when to lean on it and when to trust their own taste and judgement.

• Hands‑on at every level: Happy to go from vision to Figma to prototype to shipping, without hiding behind strategy decks.

• Thinks in systems and ships in pixels: Understands how their work fits into the broader product, business, and technical ecosystem, and can get working product in front of users fast, even if they are not deeply technical.

• Taste‑led curator, not just a maker: As AI takes over a lot of raw craft, their value comes from selecting, editing, and directing – assembling AI‑generated and human work into coherent, high‑quality products.

• Makes impact through prototyping: Influence comes from tangible prototypes that align the team, not just from facilitating workshops or owning “process”.

Specialists will still matter – especially in motion, 3D, or brand – but in most product teams, speed, adaptability, and product thinking beat narrow expertise.

Brand designers

Thanks to Julia for sharing her thoughts on what great looks like for Brand Design in 2026.

Modern brand designers combine strategy, craft, and systems:

• Thinks strategically and designs with intention: Always understands the “why” behind an asset, and how it fits into the bigger narrative and system. Knows when to follow guidelines and when to push them.

• Communicates clearly and writes well: Treats clarity as part of the craft – scannable files, concise Looms, simple explanations, and written narratives that help others move fast.

• Moves fast through systems: Builds components, templates, and automation so they can spend more time on ideas and less on production. Uses AI to accelerate, then reinvests that time into creativity and strategy.

• Challenges the status quo with purpose: Pushes the brand forward in a way that is grounded in insight, not just aesthetics. In an AI sea of sameness, they turn brand into a moat.

• Designs across mediums and ecosystems: Thinks beyond static visuals, into product, storytelling, motion, events, and data. Builds systems that scale across teams and touchpoints.

Julia wrote a great article for Zapier’s Brand Studio team used AI and automation for ZapConnect 2025.

Design directors and managers

Great design leaders in 2026 are:

• Proven design leaders who care deeply about shipping great software.

• People with sharp product taste and exceptional craft, combining obsessive attention to detail with high standards across Product, UX and visual design.

• Strong partners to Product and Engineering who can align on strategy, make smart tradeoffs, and help teams ship high‑quality work quickly. You are not lost in a room when working with product teams.

• First‑principles thinkers who are comfortable in ambiguity and excited to invent new ways of working.

• Not career managers. People management is still important, just not the only focus.

• High‑agency operators who take initiative.

Regardless of level or title, companies now look for:

• People who miss being an IC and love building.

• Regular use of AI tools and curiosity about new ones.

• A belief that AI is transformational, not just tactical.

• A habit of using prototypes and live tests over old “pre‑AI” playbooks.

• Comfort with ambiguity and constant change.

The hiring playbook

Elite hiring is not about interviewing more people. It is about precision, velocity, and conviction. The playbook has six moves.

1. Figure out what you actually need

“Product Designer” became the default label and now hides more than it reveals. Titles are legacy artefacts. Outcomes win talent. Designers do not join roles; they join missions.

If you cannot define what this person will own and change in 90 days, you are not ready to hire. Use a one‑pager to figure out:

• Problems: the product and business problems they own.

• Scope: who they work with, how decisions are made, and what is a non‑negotiable.

• Level: the autonomy and impact expected – how will you know if they’ve raised the bar?

The work sells the role. You need to sell the scope, not title.

2. Write compelling documents

To go to market, you need two docs: a job description and a vision deck.

Start by identifying five people you would love to hire and write the JD like you are writing to them, not to “the market”:

• Company snapshot

• Main responsibilities of the role

• Desired outcomes (first 3–6 months)

• Who this role is for (who will raise the bar)

• Who this role is not for

• Why you should join now

• Interview process

The vision deck is what you send to targeted candidates before the first screener:

• Company performance and runway (funding, growth, key metrics)

• Mission and the plan to get there, including how design fits in

• How the company values design (real examples and quotes from leadership)

• Culture (low ego, high ownership, high EQ)

• Screenshots of the product now and where it is heading

• Key stakeholders and their backgrounds

• The team they would be joining or leading

• The outcomes they are expected to produce

3. Always be scouting

Football teams are always scouting for the best talent. Design teams should be doing the same. Many great designers are not actively looking (for a reason), so you can’t always be reactive.

Set up a simple scouting system:

• Compile a list of 30–50 companies you admire.

• Map out every designer who works there, used to work there, and where those companies hire from.

• Ask your design, product, and engineering teams who they admire and would love to work with.

Put this into a shared sheet or ATS. Incentivise meaningful referral bonuses and create events, AMAs etc to invite designers to. The goal is not to force a move; it is to get on their radar.

Over time you will build a bench of 50+ designers you would hire instantly if timing aligned. Some will convert fast; most are 12–24‑month relationships.

4. Interview for signals

Most interview processes have too many rounds, questions that do not map to the job, repeated stages, and over‑reliance on polished portfolios.

You need to think about each round as there to test specific competencies you’re looking for such as visual craft, product sense, systems thinking, collaboration, communication, leadership. Anything that does not map to a signal is noise. Aim to move from first conversation to offer in two to four weeks.

For IC roles, I’ve seen introducing “on the day” tasks close the gap between curated case studies and on the fly thinking. Use real problems from your product (ideally something that has shipped), time‑boxed to 90-120 minutes. Evaluate how someone critiques your product, explores options and communicates under pressure – not just how pretty the UI looks. This is not spec work, it’s a chance to see how someone can think in the context of your product.

Create a small, diverse panel of two to four people. Written feedback and scores should come before any debrief to avoid overthinking.

Note: there are many ways to interview designers, this is a huge topic in itself.

5. Backchannel like a pro

Everyone backchannels.

Good backchannel referencing means speaking to people who have actually worked with the candidate on real projects – PMs, engineers, peers – not just curated references. Ask about ownership, taste, collaboration, resilience, and performance under pressure. Look for patterns across perspectives, not single anecdotes.

You must avoid contacting current colleagues without consent, keep questions grounded in behaviour and outcomes, and use what you learn to refine your understanding of their strengths, gaps, and ideal environment. The goal is to de‑risk a hire. This is a timeless article on referencing candidates from Elad Gil on the topic.

6. Close fast

Top designers have options, so speed and clarity matter.

Before you send an offer, be organised. You need someone who can confidently close and talk through the mission, the projects they will work on, the impact you expect, and a clear compensation package (base, equity, benefits, level, progression).

Offer them a few informal meetings with the broader team so they can ask any questions and get a better sense if it’s the right fit or not. You want to create urgency, but allow time for them to feel good about taking a role. For senior roles, have an executive make the offer and hold at least one deep conversation about strategy and influence. Set a clear decision deadline – usually around a week – while staying close and responsive. Every conversation should be meaningful to getting towards a yes or no.

Mistakes companies make when hiring designers

Here are the ones top of mind:

• Hiring big names over potential.

• Not having clear compensation packages up front.

• Not getting feedback promptly.

• Not knowing what you actually want. There are a few companies that are well known for this in the market; the design world is small, unfortunately.

• Having drawn‑out interview processes where you have separate interviewers asking the same questions.

• Unrealistic expectations. Trying to buy a Rolls‑Royce with enough money for a Toyota.

• For leadership roles, not having a senior executive close. People want to hear from the top of the company at that level.

  
  

If you read this and still go to market with a vague title, a generic JD, and a three‑month interview loop, that is not a talent problem. That is your choice. Those who adapt will hire the best talent.

New to Verified Insider? Here is the archive for all 55+ articles I’ve written on the topic of design hiring, careers and talent - https://docs.google.com/document/d/19F85_CGrg5OlPmTEpdoMy48EuztmjJvzojJXw9qgT_g/edit?usp=sharing