Will design rediscover soul in 2026?

With Config just around the corner, I figured I would share a few thoughts on the design industry in what has been a pretty crazy year.

AI coding tools have made it easier than ever to build on the web. And it is an exciting time to create. But the industry itself is pretty lifeless.

Design is about more than pretty visuals. It is a human-centered practice around making things that people love to use.

So if you can create anything, shouldn't we be making software that engages users in new and exciting ways? Increasing the quality bar every month?

Probably, but who exactly are our users and how much power do they have in this promised age of AI? Every company is scrambling to own part of the automation stack. And in a world where business practices are increasingly automated, who uses software and for what purpose?

Somewhere in here is a commentary on Silicon Valley. Where latent demand is more buzzy than solving specific human problems.

But there is still hope. Human connection is the most valuable thing in the world. And software is an incredibly powerful medium to connect.

No one knows what the future holds. But betting on design means betting on a good outcome. Where the work that we do in tech is about fundamentally helping people. And the companies that win are chosen by the people who buy and use the product, not the latest limiting factor for the machines.

Anyways, back to building,

Todd