How designers are getting described and hired, month over month. Which titles emerged. Which ones faded.
Viewing future quarters under the Platform Consolidation Swallows the Field worldview. One or two vertically integrated platforms — combining design canvas, generative models, code output, and distribution — capture the majority of design workflow. Specialization and tool-switching cost collapses as the integrated suite becomes 'good enough' across all functions. The design tool market resembles productivity software: a duopoly with thin margins and high switching costs.
48 synthesized monthsin the data layer. Stage breakdowns (Starter / Scaler / Titan) are available for 2026 only — earlier months show under the All segment but won’t appear under stage filters until the design-context pipeline runs further back.