Designers, All Other

About 9,900 people worked as “Designers, All Other” in the U.S. in 2023, earning about $76,000 a year on average ^[1]. These roles cover many kinds of creative work, so AI usually helps rather than replaces designers. For example, many designers now use generative tools like DALL-E, Midjourney or Adobe Firefly to quickly make concept images from text prompts ^[2].

Research finds “graphic designers use AI-generated graphics to simplify the design process and provide high-quality results” ^[3]. In practice, AI can speed up routine tasks (such as auto-coloring or creating base layouts), but it tends to miss important details of style and meaning. As an Architectural Digest expert notes, these “visual generative AI tools can’t yet think like a designer” – they lack the context, emotion and judgment that a human brings to a final design ^[4].

In short, AI currently augments designers (by automating basic edits and brainstorming ideas) but doesn’t fully take over their core creative decision-making ^{[4] [3]}.

Whether companies jump on AI depends on costs, benefits and trust. On one hand, many AI design tools are already available and often inexpensive (e.g. built into software), so it’s easy for designers to try them out. Indeed, industry surveys show a majority of designers experimenting with AI, and most feel optimistic about it ^{[2] [5]}.

For example, a 2023 survey found twice as many creative pros expected AI to help their careers (34%) than feared it would make them obsolete (21%) ^[5]. From a business view, using AI could save time and money versus paying high design wages (about $36.52/hr on average ^[1]) – so there’s a clear economic incentive.