The State of AI Design 2026
How brand teams are moving from AI experiments to production systems
Based on conversations with designers and marketers at 100+ companies, this report explores how AI adoption in design is shifting from isolated generation tools to governed, brand-aware systems. It reveals what it takes to use AI in real workflows without sacrificing brand integrity, trust, or creative quality.
In this report, we explore:
- Why generative AI alone isn’t enough and why systems, not prompts, are the future of brand-safe design
- How trust, governance, and liability became the main blockers (and enablers) of AI adoption
- How designers are evolving from asset makers to system architects and creative directors
