Graphic Design Services NAICS 541430

Nov 21, 2025 - Technology is Rapidly Changing Graphic Design

• Graphic design is heading into a period of steady, complex change driven by legal, technological, and workforce shifts. AI continues to reshape the field, sparking copyright lawsuits that could redefine how designers and companies use generative tools. At the same time, remote and hybrid work have dominated creative roles, with 76% of workers saying they would job-hop if remote options disappeared and 69% willing to take a pay cut to keep them, according to a FlexJobs report. Still, the arrangement has downsides: 34% report isolation, 25% feel they miss out on learning opportunities, and 21% lack adequate resources. Freelancing is also accelerating - 52% of Gen Z and 44% of millennials have taken on freelance work, and about 18% of graphic designers are self-employed, per USA Today. Despite this turbulence, the job outlook might be stabilizing. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts graphic design employment growth of 2% by 2034.
• Employment in the graphic design industry fell 2.8% in July 2025 while wages grew 5.2% to $45.57 an hour, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, indicating that there is still demand for talent in an industry grappling with transformative AI technology. With generative AI increasingly taking over many of the mundane tasks of graphic design, industry leaders acknowledge that it lacks effectiveness when it comes to tasks requiring creative-thinking skills. The World Economic forum lists graphic design as one of the world’s fastest declining jobs, but those numbers mask a shift in demand to other aspects of design work such as usability and interface design, rather than a wholesale drop in the need for human graphic designers. Such jobs require more technically-inclined - i.e. higher paid - talent. (Wages have grown about 60% in the last 10 years.)

• A recent survey by recruiting firm Robert Half highlights the hiring and compensation trends of creative professionals. About 43% of creative managers say applicants are more likely to negotiate compensation today than a year earlier. Nearly half (45%) of creative managers expect continued challenges meeting job seekers’ salary expectations. The positions most likely to command salary increases include graphic design, creative development and art direction, UX and UI design, and content strategy. Artificial intelligence (AI) is also impacting hiring trends. Nearly 70% of marketing and creative managers report that AI and automation have altered the types of skill sets required of new hires.
• A recent Creative Boom article highlighted what some graphic design industry insiders believe will be the top industry trends in 2025. Adoption of AI topped the list as some design professionals expect AI to move from a behind-the-scenes ideation aid for processes and sketches to an execution tool that can generate brand assets in real-time. As AI proliferates, some industry observers believe demand for more human-created, in-real-life (IRL) brand experiences will emerge in response to it. The trend of more physical displays is expected to be strongest in the retail sector as brands try to connect via IRL experiences. Digital saturation and mass production are also projected to inspire more craft-focused and heritage design as consumers demand more personalization and handmade items.