In this episode of The Design Table Podcast, Tyler and Nick break down what product design will look like in 2026 and why this year will feel like a shock to a lot of designers. Tyler calls it the year of the builder, where titles start collapsing and the market rewards people who can actually ship.

They discuss why design has been misunderstood for years, how that misunderstanding is costing you still today, and why design is slowly getting eaten by product and engineering departments.

This is not AI fear and it is not a rant. It is a practical blueprint for how designers stay relevant when the goalposts move.

If you want to protect your career and increase your leverage, the answer is simple: skill stack and build.

Here is what is on the table:
🔸 Why 2026 will be “the year of the builder”
🔸 Why design roles are merging into hybrid titles
🔸 The designer vs. developer gap and how it wastes time
🔸 When building real prototypes beats building Figma prototypes
🔸 How AI changes what teams expect designers to ship
🔸 The next wave: builders who can design, ship, and think business

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More about Tyler and Nick
Tyler: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/tyler-white
Nick: https://www.designtablepodcast.com/hosts/nick-groeneveld