Global report reveals nearly half (49%) of graphic professionals foresee end of manual graphic production within 5 years

25th September — Almost half (49%) of graphic professionals predict that the manual graphic production industry will be obsolete within five years, according to a new global report.

CHILI publish recently surveyed 400 graphic professionals across four key markets (the UK, US, France, and Germany) about the pressures they and their graphic production teams currently face, as well as what the future of the industry may hold. The survey targeted two main audiences: graphic decision-makers from retail companies, and respondents from marketing and advertising brands and agencies responsible for graphic production.

The report, which examines businesses' current bandwidth ('Brandwidth'), highlights the urgent need for industry adaptation. It reveals that almost half (48%) of respondents cite rising consumer demands and expectations as a significant contributor to their growing workloads, while nearly all respondents (96%) agree that automation will be essential to managing these increasing demands in the future.

Current challenges in the design landscape

The report highlights a common theme across the industry: graphic production teams are struggling to keep up with the growing demand for brand assets. The rising volume of personalization projects is a key driver of this pressure, with 43% of respondents pointing to consumer demands as the main reason for the surge in these projects over the past 12 months. Despite advancing technology, such as AI tools created to assist designers, 48% of respondents also said the emergence of AI and new design tools have added to their obligations.

When trying to manage their workloads, respondents cite ‘too much work to physically complete’ (29%) and a ‘lack of time for creativity’ (28%) as the main challenges.

Measures to overcome increasing workloads

Increasing volumes of work are not only negatively impacting designers but are also affecting business productivity too. Almost two in five respondents revealed they have taken time off due to stress-related issues and have considered a job change (both 39%). Furthermore, half of businesses have been significantly impacted by delayed product launches (52%) and increased operational costs due to inefficiencies (49%).

For businesses looking to retain top industry talent and remain competitive, measures must be put in place to overcome capacity issues. The survey reveals that organizations are looking to hire new talent (34%), upskill their current team (34%), and utilize AI on an ad hoc basis (33%) to help manage increasing workloads.

However, a significant portion of respondents face challenges with AI implementation: one-third (33%) admit they lack the ability to effectively instruct AI to perform tasks, while over half (56%) believe that AI struggles to understand generational differences and nuances in design—an area where human designers still hold a clear advantage.

The future of human-centered graphics production

As responsibilities continue to expand, it seems the use of automation will be inevitable, with nearly all respondents (96%) believing that automation will be essential to managing the growing demands. Yet attitudes towards AI seems more pessimistic, with 89% viewing AI as a threat to their team’s roles as 42% anticipate a decrease in the number of designers in their organization over the next three years.

Commenting on the findings, CHILI publish’s CEO, Kevin Geominne, says: “It’s evident that the industry is on the brink of a major change. While technology is being developed to support graphic designers, it is also driving greater workloads. Businesses must navigate these next few years carefully to remain competitive and retain their talent. Skilled graphic designers will always be essential for generating creative ideas and concepts, but AI and automation can help manage growing workloads, improving efficiency and delivering high-quality results. Supporting graphic production teams with proper training and the implementation of these technologies is key to continuing to deliver work at scale and staying ahead of the curve.”