Every year we ask designers across India to share their reality — salaries, tools, career paths, challenges. This year, 1,200 of you responded. Here's what we found.

Salaries are up — but unevenly

The median salary for a mid-level designer in Bangalore rose to ₹22L, up from ₹18L in 2023. Mumbai and Delhi followed at ₹19L and ₹17L respectively. But the variance is massive — designers at top-tier startups report packages of ₹40-60L, while agency designers in the same cities earn ₹8-12L.

Figma won. Completely.

94% of respondents use Figma as their primary design tool. Sketch dropped to 3%. Adobe XD is at 1% and declining. The interesting story is in what comes second: Framer is growing fast for website design, and Spline is the darling of the 3D crowd.

AI is here, but not yet transformative

68% of designers use AI tools (primarily Midjourney, DALL-E, and Adobe Firefly) for ideation and asset generation. But only 12% say AI has materially changed their workflow. The consensus: AI is a great brainstorming partner, not a designer replacement.

The title inflation problem

"Senior Designer" now means anything from 2 to 10+ years of experience depending on the company. The lack of consistent career ladders is creating confusion for designers and hiring managers alike. We need better frameworks.

What designers want

1. Better mentorship (mentioned by 71%)

2. Clearer career progression (64%)

3. More research budget (58%)

4. Remote flexibility (54%)

The design community in India is growing, maturing, and increasingly confident. The challenges are real, but so is the momentum.