72% of designers use generative AI – and 91% say it gets better

Figma has released its annual State of the Designer 2026 report. Most designers say that AI has improved the quality of work – not just its speed. This is a reversal of how the industry usually discusses AI.

## What the study showed

72% of designers already use generative AI in their daily workflow.

91% of them say AI improves the quality of results – not just the speed of execution. This is an important clarification: the “AI does faster but worse” narrative is not validated in practice.

61% of companies under 10 consider AI to be “very or critical” to achieving business goals. Small teams learned this faster than the big ones.

## Context

Figma has released State of the Designer every year since 2022. In 2024, the main question was "will AI replace designers" - most answered "no." In 2026, the question shifted: AI is now just part of the toolkit, and the study captures exactly how.

72% is almost three-quarters of the profession. A year ago, the figure was much lower. The leap came after AI tools were integrated directly into Figma (Figma Make, Design Agent) and there was no need to switch between programs.

## What it means for a designer in 2026

If you're in the remaining 28 percent, it's not "I'm fundamentally against AI." It’s probably just, “I haven’t found exactly where AI saves me time.” Entry points, which colleagues call: generation of component options, writing a copy for empty states, auditing the design system through Check Designs, research directions through Google Stitch.

91% of people who talk about quality are not contradictory. AI removes mechanical work and leaves more time for decisions that require thinking.

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