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‘Almost everyone is having an existential crisis’: Designers share how they’re surviving an industry in constant flux
The design industry is undergoing significant changes due to the rise of generative AI, which is impacting client expectations and project budgets. Designers are increasingly feeling the pressure to adapt their practices and diversify their income sources, leading to a growing sense of uncertainty and existential crisis among freelancers. For brand strategy, this highlights the need for brands to value human creativity and craftsmanship, particularly in a market where AI is reshaping perceptions of design work.
FastCompany: In 2018, Cari Sekendur relocated from New York City to Berlin, Germany to launch an independent web design and branding studio, Butter . Like many designers who leave salaried employment to work for themselves, Sekendur was seeking greater independence and a sense of creative freedom. An entrepreneur at heart, she wanted to wear many hats beyond graphic design—including marketing , pitching to clients, building freelance teams, and developing the systems that keep a studio ticking along. The move paid off.
Butter is a well-established boutique studio of one, boasting clients like Nike, Puma, and the Morgans Hotel Group; and Sekendur has achieved the flexible lifestyle she long hoped for. “I really prefer to have the autonomy of controlling my time,” she says.
“I love the freedom.” {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2026\/07\/design-sample-test.png","imageMobileUrl":"","eyebrow":"","headline":"1,273 designers tell all: Their rates, real pay, and how they really feel about AI","dek":"","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"Read More","ctaUrl":"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/91571502\/freelance-design-pricing-transparency-project-report?utm_source=fcwebsite\u0026utm_medium=promo_block\u0026utm_campaign=91578654","theme":{"bg":"#2b2d30","text":"#ffffff","eyebrow":"#9aa2aa","subhed":"#ffffff","button
Bg":"#3b3f46","buttonHoverBg":"#3b3f46","buttonText":"#ffffff"},"imageDesktopId":91570782,"imageMobileId":0,"shareable":false,"slug":"","wpCssClasses":""}} Over the last eight years, the design industry has weathered a succession of storms, from the pandemic and political upheaval to broader industry shifts like design expertise moving in-house and the acquisition of smaller studios by larger strategy firms. But for Sekendur, it’s only been in the last year specifically—with the acceleration of generative AI —that she has noticed a fundamental shift in her daily business operations and its economics.
“I’m suddenly having to pitch for projects that I wouldn’t have prioritized in the past,” says Sekendur. “Some of them I wouldn’t have even considered before, because of how low they’re paid. Budgets have gotten significantly smaller, maybe like 50% or more than they were even last year.” According to Sekendur, clients are also taking far longer to move forward with a commission (it now takes “two months, not two weeks”). Project scopes have been stripped back, with services such as copywriting, illustration, and photography—which Butter once supplied and built teams around—disappearing from scopes of work entirely.
“I’m very concerned about the big picture and what is going to happen,” says Sekendur. “Everything’s in such an unstable state.” Across ten interviews with designers, agents, creative coaches, and industry leaders as well as a survey of nearly 1,300 independent designers conducted earlier this month, the same story emerges again and again: Freelancing in 2026 is fundamentally different than it was even a year ago.
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The article addresses significant shifts in the design industry due to generative AI, which is highly relevant for brand strategy professionals navigating these changes, while also presenting insights that are somewhat novel but reflect ongoing trends.