The Future of Design Belongs to High-Agency Thinkers
The Role of Designers is Evolving, Fast
We’re shaping products, influencing strategy, and collaborating with AI to solve complex problems. But as AI automates more of the executional work, one question becomes critical:
What sets great designers apart?
The answer? Agency.
This post explores why agency matters more than ever in an AI-driven world and how taking initiative, owning decisions, and thinking proactively set great designers apart.
But first, what is agency?
Andrej Karpathy, AI researcher and former co-founder of OpenAI, takes a strong stance, claiming that agency matters more than raw intelligence. He explains, “Agency is the ability to take initiative, make decisions, and exert control over your environment. It’s about being proactive rather than reactive—someone with high agency doesn’t just let life happen to them; they shape it.”
Psychologists describe this as an internal locus of control, the belief that your actions shape outcomes rather than external forces like luck, management decisions, or shifting priorities.
High-agency designers don’t wait for a product manager to hand them a spec; they’re strategists, decision-makers, and drivers of change. They don’t wait for permission. They look for the gaps, ask the right questions, and move fast to shape the future of their products.
They usually exhibit the following traits :
✅ Spot opportunities before anyone else
✅ Ask the right questions instead of waiting for answers
✅ Challenge assumptions and influence product direction
✅ Balance user value with business objectives
Modern design is no longer about pixel-level details; it requires system-level thinking and strategic oversight. AI alone lacks the intuition and contextual awareness needed for great design. This is where high-agency designers excel. Rather than passively accepting AI-generated outputs, they actively refine and orchestrate them to augment their own abilities.
As Karpathy highlights, teams composed of high-agency individuals don’t just outthink competitors, they redefine the landscape by shaping smarter, user-centric solutions.
With AI handling execution-level tasks, designers can now more then ever focus on big-picture thinking.
The best designers today:
🎯 Think in systems. AI-driven experiences must work together across platforms, ensuring seamless interactions.
❤️ Lead with empathy. AI-generated chatbot responses, for example, might be technically correct but need a designer’s touch to sound human and reassuring.
🎨 Curate with taste. AI-generated UX copy might be functional, but a designer refines it for clarity, engagement, and brand consistency.
Great designers don’t just design; they drive meaningful change. Companies like Apple, Airbnb, and Spotify embed design into their product strategy, proving that agency transforms designers from executors into core strategic players.
Understanding Agency: The Power of Proactivity and Initiative
At its core, agency is the capacity to make meaningful decisions, proactively shape the environment, and own outcomes. It involves:
🎯 Autonomy – The freedom to make independent choices.
🔥 Initiative – The drive to tackle challenges before being asked.
💡 Accountability – Owning decisions, learning from them, and refining future actions.
With AI generating countless possibilities, designers must filter, evaluate, and refine these outputs into meaningful, high-quality experiences.
High-Agency vs. Reactive Design
Too many designers operate reactively, responding to feature requests instead of shaping them. High-agency designers, by contrast:
🚀 Prioritize features strategically. They evaluate options and champion those that align with user needs and business goals.
🔍 Stay disciplined amid AI hype. They focus on meaningful innovation instead of chasing every new trend.
⚖️ Lead ethically. They advocate for responsible AI use, ensuring transparency and trust.
How to Cultivate Agency
High-agency designers don’t just wake up with an instinct to lead; they cultivate it through intentional habits. Here’s how you can build agency in your own career:
🔍 Stay Curious. Set aside time each week to explore AI trends, experiment with tools, and assess how they impact your workflow.
🛠 Prototype Proactively. Don’t wait for permission, build small tests and proofs-of-concept to validate ideas and showcase new opportunities.
💬 Challenge Assumptions. When AI suggests a solution, dig deeper. Ask, “Is this the best option, or just the easiest?”
📢 Speak Up. Share insights with your team, propose ideas, and influence product direction rather than just following instructions.
📈 Develop Strategic Awareness. Understand business goals, market trends, and AI’s role in scaling impact beyond the design process.
By incorporating these habits, designers can actively shape their careers rather than reacting to industry shifts. The difference between a passive designer and a high-agency leader is in the actions they take daily.
The Future Belongs to High-Agency Designers
With AI transforming product development, raw technical skills alone won’t be enough. Execution is becoming automated, but taste, judgment, and leadership remain human superpowers.
✅ AI generates, but humans discern.
✅ AI optimizes, but humans define success.
✅ AI personalizes, but humans create meaning.
Designers who embrace agency will shape the future of AI-powered experiences. They’ll lead, not follow. They’ll question, not just execute. And they’ll push AI beyond automation, toward innovation that truly serves people.