What’s working, what’s not, for designers and developers?

The good news is that this year, 41% of designers say they’re more satisfied at work than they were in 2023, compared to only 15% who are less satisfied.

41% of developers also say they’re more satisfied with work than they were in 2023.

There’s been a big decrease in optimism about the job market. 45% of designers feel the job market has declined — three times more than those who felt that way in 2023, and 45% of developers feel the same.

69% of designers with high work satisfaction rate the collaboration between designers and developers as effective or very effective. Increased use of digital tools are doing much of the heavy lifting.

Most designers — 84% — say they collaborate with developers at least weekly. 67% of devs and 63% of designers rate the collaboration as effective or very effective.

Developers with higher job satisfaction collaborate more frequently with designers. 32% report daily collaboration (vs. 16% in 2023).

Designers communicating how they arrived at the solution and why, as well as their vision, goes a long way to fixing any issues. Differences in assumptions are the most commonly cited (52%) challenges faced by developers when working with designers.

Happy designers and developers alike are more likely to use digital whiteboarding and collaborative design tools.

27% of designers and developers say AI has significantly impacted their organization's goals or priorities. However, over half of designers and developers say that AI makes them more optimistic about the future of product design and development​.