Are roles and responsibilities a thing of the past

Across product teams, clearly defined roles are giving way to something more fluid. You've probably seen it play out in real time: PMs prototyping concepts, engineers scoping early designs, and more content specialists and marketers leaving feedback in Figma files. Generally, this is a good thing-open collaboration leads to better ideas. Making the most of this shift requires understanding it at a macro and micro level to inform decisions about where to go next. It's through that lens that we conducted comprehensive research on how roles are shifting across the full product development lifecycle.

We found that more people are involved in design than ever. In fact, 56% of non-designers say they engage "a lot" or "a great deal" in at least one design-centric task. But the blurring of roles doesn't stop at design: 64% of respondents identified with two or more roles, and over a third said their responsibilities span three or more roles. Here, we dive into how these overlaps are playing out day to day and what it means for the way product teams work.

Design isn't just for designers

Ownership of design work is broadening: Non-designer participation in design-centric tasks like creating mockups and brand explorations has increased 10% in the past year. In practice, this looks like marketers creating quick visual assets for social media or PMs sketching early ideas rather than waiting for a working prototype from a designer. In fact, 70% of PMs said they're creating low-fidelity mockups or wireframing, and 59% said they're taking on interactive prototyping.

The broad adoption of design tooling across disciplines is another sign of this shift: One in four respondents report recently adopting a new design tool, and 42% of those not yet using one plan to start within the year. At first glance, this might feel threatening to those who have years of design experience or specialized education. But at the root of this overlap in design work is a desire to communicate through visuals and interactions; to explain a pain point and a potential solution; to share a new product idea or identify how to get around a technical barrier. The result is improved collaboration and valuable time back for everyone involved in the product development process.

For example, when a product manager creates an early mockup of their idea, designers can iterate and align on a shared vision sooner and avoid unnecessary back-and-forth later. When developers hop into a Figma mockup before implementation, they can flag feasibility issues early, saving time in later stages of development. All this time saved can then be redirected into research, strategy, maintaining and scaling design systems, and honing craft.

As participation in design grows, product builders can make the most of this shift by focusing on effective collaboration. This is achieved through establishing deep connections, aligning on a shared vision early, and being open to input from teammates learning new tools.

Tool overload is causing friction

Tools and technology are among the top drivers of changes in work. AI tools like Figma Make, Claude Code, and GitHub Copilot make it easier to create a quick prototype or produce workable code with just a few prompts, while tools like Notion, Figma Buzz, and Airtable allow rapid creation of marketing assets and streamline project management.

There's no shortage of tools that aim to make work easier, and that's where the tension lies. As usage grows, the sheer pace of new tools makes it hard for many to keep up. Seventy-one percent of respondents say they are now using more tools and software as a direct result of role shifts, from spreadsheets and project management tools to graphic design and coding assistant tools. With teams juggling tools from an average of 7.6 different categories (out of 16 total), the effectiveness of each individual tool is getting diluted.

Across roles, there's a clear desire to streamline tooling, but many note that they're often met with resistance from other teams who are hesitant to switch from familiar tools. "I'm constantly having to learn these new tools," one design expert says. "I end up wasting time trying to figure out how to put text into the tool that I don't have time to work on the actual text."

The result is an increasingly complex tool stack where projects might begin with a GTM file on one platform, shift to a PRD in another, move to a third for brainstorming, track progress in a fourth, and prototype in yet another.

And yet, despite their frustrations, product builders show strong interest in learning these new tools-not only to meet project goals but also to grow their own skills. The solution for many organizations will lie in creating space for hands-on exploration and in critically assessing which tools best support efficiency and growth. "Streamlining the tools rather than coming up with so many new ones would be great," says one marketer at a design agency. "There doesn't need to be 8,000 [tools]. There should just be one."

The makeup of work is changing

Product builders are feeling busier than ever, and for good reason. There's more pressure to take things further and timelines are compressing. Throughout a given project, respondents report engaging in an average of 7.3 tasks (out of 19 total), from market and user research to creating mockups, testing, and content strategy. In addition, product builders report a 17.5% increase in tasks performed in the past year, and 55% report taking on new tasks that others used to do.

Teams are moving ideas to market faster, streamlining workflows, and tapping into capabilities-like turning a few prompts into a working prototype-that once felt out of reach. However, though product builders are taking on more tasks across disciplines, some of this work is taking up less time-only 19% of respondents say they spend more time on executional tasks-making space for work that delivers greater value.

The hope of any new software is that it accelerates work and makes it more efficient. With AI tackling that task head on, the makeup of work is changing. Fifty-seven percent of product builders report spending more time on high-value work, and 68% say they're more productive or efficient overall. As one product manager at a retail company puts it: "I'm not expecting everything to be automated from end-to-end, but if there are 20 different tasks across the product lifecycle, I think a lot of those tasks will get easier. I'm hoping product managers can then spend a lot more time on the tasks that create value."

The most notable finding is that product builders feel a sense of growth and forward momentum in their work. The question they're now asking is: What are the most valuable tasks to spend time on? Finding the answer will entail identifying where to use AI for acceleration and automation, and which parts of the product development process benefit most from deeper human expertise and judgment.

Craft and human judgment remain paramount

While AI accelerates processes, producing exceptional work still depends on strategic judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to refine AI outputs through a human perspective. Our research shows that product builders already recognize this-53% of respondents agree that even with AI, you need deep knowledge to do a task well, while 63% agree that their role requires a human touch.

This plays out across disciplines: A developer's expertise is still needed to refine AI-generated code and ensure scalable systems, a designer's taste is crucial to refining AI-generated assets, and copy written by AI still needs a human to consider context, meaning, and tweak for voice and tone. As a UX writer at a SaaS company puts it, "The human element of creating content is still really important. AI does not recognize nuance, cultural references, perspective, or depth. Those are just human capabilities, human sensitivities that cannot be replicated."

As AI capabilities evolve, craft, taste, and discernment will only become more vital to making great products. To meet the moment, product builders should aim to always be refining their taste by learning and seeking mentorship from experts and taking courses to expand knowledge and deepen expertise. Craft should be treated as an evolving skill; every project is a chance to raise standards and explore new ways to bring care and precision to the work.

Overall, our research revealed a mix of concern about broader scopes and top-down demands and excitement about new tooling that unlocks new capabilities. What's clear is that craft and human judgment continue to be essential to the product development process. The transformation of product development roles is still unfolding, with new patterns emerging as teams adapt to an ever-changing landscape. Our full report examines these shifts in detail and explores what they mean for the future of how we build.