Digital Design in eCommerce - What Do Professionals Really Think?

Digital design is at the heart of eCommerce. From user journeys to brand storytelling, it’s the work of designers, graphic artists and UX specialists that shapes how customers experience online shopping. But how do digital design professionals really feel about their careers right now?

In our latest eCommerce salary survey, we looked at what’s happening in the design segment of the industry. Salaries, workloads, skills and the role of AI all played a part in the responses. Here’s what we found.

Salaries: A mixed picture on progression

This year, 43% of digital design professionals saw a salary increase, which is a slight dip from last year’s 46%. While that number shows positive movement for some, the real story lies in how designers feel about their pay overall.

On average, salary happiness scored 6.4/10 – a significant rise from 4.7 in 2024. That’s a welcome shift and suggests pay levels are becoming more competitive across the design space. However, when asked about satisfaction with salary progression, the score came in at just 2.6/10, falling from 3/10 last year.

This shows that while pay levels may have improved for some, designers aren’t seeing clear paths for future progression. For hiring managers, this is a red flag. If employees don’t believe they’ll continue to grow financially in their roles, they’re more likely to keep an eye on the job market.

Workload and happiness: Remote design is thriving

When asked about workloads, design respondents gave an average score of 6.8/10, up from 6 last year. While this shows workloads remain demanding, it’s not as high as other eCommerce specialisms – suggesting design teams are finding a more sustainable pace.

Interestingly, working preferences have shifted. This year, 66% said they work best fully remote, with the rest favouring hybrid. Last year, 72% said hybrid was the best balance, so the swing towards remote-first is striking.

Design roles often lend themselves to remote work, given that much of the work is digital, collaborative tools are now standard and creativity can flourish without the distractions of an office. However, companies still need to think carefully about communication and culture if their design teams are spread out. You can read more on this in our blog: Is work-life balance attainable in eCommerce?

Skills, AI and challenges ahead

AI continues to shape digital design. Respondents highlighted that it has mostly helped their roles – bringing enhanced efficiency in operations and improved customer insights. However, there’s still caution around over-reliance on automation, with some pointing to risks of errors or designs losing the human creative touch.

Looking ahead, the most in-demand skills identified by designers were:

• AI & Machine Learning – shaping personalised and data-led design.
• AR/VR – as immersive shopping experiences start to move mainstream.
• Cybersecurity – increasingly important as design overlaps with customer data and trust.

The challenges reflect these shifts, too. Designers pointed to rapid technological change, sustainability demands, budget constraints and talent gaps as ongoing hurdles. As customer expectations evolve and eCommerce competition intensifies, these challenges will continue to test teams – but also open opportunities for those with the right skills.

Digital Design Recruitment - find the best in the business!

For digital design professionals in eCommerce, 2025 is a year of progress mixed with caution. Salaries are moving in the right direction, but progression opportunities remain unclear. Remote work has become the preferred way of working, yet teams will need support to stay connected. And while AI is boosting efficiency, the human creative edge remains essential.

For employers, the message is clear: be transparent on progression, embrace flexibility and keep an eye on the skills your design teams will need in the future. Those who get this right will not only attract the best digital design talent but also keep them engaged for the long run. Click below to get in touch, and we can connect you to the brightest design stars in the eCommerce industry!