Jan Pautsch
Director Kooku X, the expert search service of Kooku Recruiting Partners.
As a global design headhunter based in Berlin, I offer deep insights into the German and international design markets. In many discussions with industry experts, topics such as the evolution of the role of the product designer, the challenges of design leadership and new working models came up. In this three-part series, I explore these changes. Welcome to Part 1: Transforming the role of the Product Designer.
From Jan Pautsch, Director Kooku X, theem Expert Search Service from Kooku Recruiting Partners.
As a global design headhunter based in Berlin, I offer deep insights into the German and international design markets. In many discussions with industry experts, topics such as the evolution of the role of the product designer, the challenges of design leadership and new working models came up. In this three-part series, I explore these changes. Welcome to Part 1: Transforming the role of the Product Designer.
The transformation of the product designer's role
From Aesthetics to Strategy: The Evolution of the Product Designer Profile
The world of product design is undergoing radical change. The decline in venture capital investment and the rapid development of technologies such as generative AI are having a lasting impact on the market. Start-ups are stopping hiring, large tech companies are cutting jobs and agencies and consultancies are feeling the effects of shrinking budgets.
Under this economic pressure, the role of product designers is changing. The requirements go beyond purely user-centered design: a deep understanding of business models, ROI and strategic thinking is expected. Companies value designers who combine empathy, process orientation and an economic mindset. At the same time, collaboration between designers, product managers and developers is becoming ever closer and more dynamic – often in hybrid setups.
In their recently published analysis The State of UX in 2025 Fabricio Teixeira and Caio Braga shed light on how UX design is increasingly shaped by business goals, automation and AI. This change brings new challenges for designers, but also exciting opportunities to adapt and realign.
Design Engineering: The bridge between design and development
In his article Are design engineers the future? Felix Lee, CEO of ADPList, describes the increasing demand from large tech companies for so-called “design engineers”. These roles combine design and development skills to simplify handovers and optimize workflows.
Traditional handovers between designers and developers often lead to misunderstandings and delays. Design engineers provide a remedy by combining design and programming skills (e.g. HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and delivering more efficient results. Companies such as Google, Apple and Microsoft are increasingly relying on these roles to shorten development times.
Tobias Hellmann, Director Product Design at Oetker Digital, emphasizes that the spread of design systems has been a major driver of change in product design in recent years, alongside economic challenges. “Component-based work with design systems requires closer collaboration between designers and developers than ever before,” says Hellmann.
The integration of technical design workflows and the further development of tools such as Figma – including features such as Developer Mode and variable-based design libraries – are driving this change forward.
Designers in new roles: Opportunities and challenges
Changes in the industry are allowing designers to redefine their focus or even move into completely new career directions. Tom Scott, founder of Verified, highlights that designers are increasingly moving into roles such as people management, engineering or product management.
With creative thinking and business expertise, designers can drive innovation outside of traditional design roles. A creative leadership headhunter can help match top designers with companies that value innovative thinking.
The future of product design: AI, automation and ethics
Edward Chechique, an expert in AI and design, predicts that many manual design tasks will be taken over by AI in the future. This will push designers to develop systems that help machines to work efficiently and ethically. Hertje Brodersen, Experience Strategist and Design Leader, adds that designers must ensure that AI systems are designed to be barrier-free and without misleading patterns.
These changes open up new opportunities for Product Design Recruiting, as the industry is looking more than ever for professionals who can combine technical and creative skills.
Your contacts for Design Recruiting
As a design headhunter and specialist in the recruitment of product design experts, I support companies in finding the right talent and building sustainable team structures. Whether headhunter for product design roles or executive search in design – I help you to set up your design and product teams for the future.
Contact me to find out more about design recruiting and filling key positions quickly. Visit our page:
Kooku X – Headhunter for Designer and Product Design Recruiting.
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