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91% of designers now use AI weekly, tools still shift

Published 19 July 2026 · Source dated 1 February 2026

The State of AI Design report found 91% of designers now use AI at least weekly, up from 54% a year prior. But nearly half still haven't settled on go-to tools — this space hasn't stabilised yet.

The State of AI Design report tracked a real shift: 91% of designers now use AI weekly, up from 54% a year earlier — a 37-point jump. But almost half of respondents say they're still searching for their go-to tools. Claude's reportedly overtaken ChatGPT for many designers, Figma's role in the stack has shifted, and coding tools (not just image generators) are becoming part of the daily process. For someone on Figma and Penpot, the takeaway isn't "install everything new" — it's that fluency with one or two AI tools, used consistently on real work, beats chasing every release. The market's still shaking out; you don't need to have it figured out either.

Coach

Pick one AI tool you already have access to and use it on a real task this week — note what it actually saved you, not what it promised.

Source: stateofaidesign.com ·