Remote working seems to be making product designers more job-satisfied, says Figma report

A new Figma report reveals some unexpected findings about the experience of digital product designers in a post-pandemic world. While we’re still hearing cases of creative burnout across the industry – a strain WeTransfer explored in its own report last November – Figma has gathered findings that point to a changing landscape, at least in one field.

69 per cent of digital product designers have greater job satisfaction now than they did pre-pandemic, according to the State of the Designer report. The same number said their employment options have “improved” or “greatly improved”. Even more surprising is the report’s findings which reveal confidence in the job market, after a year of upheavals in the tech industry. The collaborative platform says: “Despite many businesses laying off designers in 2022, particularly in high-growth sectors like tech, designers in 2023 are still positive about the job market, according to our research.”

Figma points to a greater corporate interest in design in its reasoning. “Product designers are no longer confined to the sidelines. Instead, they have stepped into pivotal roles within businesses.”

The major shift the report focuses on is remote work, with 95 per cent of designers working from home, at least partially. Despite concerns that remote working might have an isolating effect, Figma says it’s the individual design contributors who are the most positive about their current roles, at 82 per cent.

Designers did highlight some negatives too, with 38 per cent feeling more distant from their co-workers. Still, it’s a surprisingly small number when you consider the huge shifts that have occurred in our working patterns, with video meetings and online collaboration now primary modes of collaboration for most.

Figma surveyed 470 designers in Europe and the Asia–Pacific region over a three-year period for State of the Designer, working with illustrator Laura Simonati on an accompanying blog post. You can read that here, and download the full report here.