Do you fit into the delivery team of the future?
I’ve been reflecting on the evolving shape of teams, particularly in the context of AI adoption. Across recent comments on my posts and ongoing conversations, there’s a clear split in perspectives: some believe design roles may become less relevant, while others think it’s the developers who will feel the squeeze.
But here’s the thing: both disciplines hold unique and irreplaceable value—especially at a senior level.
Designers, particularly those with a strategic or systems thinking mindset, bring a depth of insight into human behaviour, workflows, and problem framing that is often underappreciated.
Meanwhile, senior developers offer deep technical expertise and architectural thinking, such as the understanding of security, and best coding practices that are critical to building robust, scalable solutions (this is where most ‘vibe coders fall down currently’)
As we increasingly rely on AI agents to generate outputs, validating those outputs becomes a critical skillset. Without strong design thinking, how do we ensure that AI solutions solve the right problems? And without robust technical understanding, how do we ensure those solutions are safe, scalable, and fit for purpose?
So, I’d like to propose a reframing of team composition for the AI era:
• Design + Strategy: to frame the right problems, explore ideas, and create solutions with real-world impact.
• Solution Architecture + Technical Expertise: to ensure outputs are technically sound, secure, and sustainable.
• Agent Integration Specialists: those who can fine-tune, validate, and oversee AI-generated components—though perhaps this is a function of the two previous roles working closely together.
The mechanical tasks of design and development may shift or even diminish in the AI landscape, but the thinking is more important than ever.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Are we heading toward a future where deep thinking outpaces hands-on making in value?
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