They haven't figured out a thing. This is just more hype, as was the frontend engineer push of 2010/2011.. hopefully some designers/engineers can make out well with all this attention, however. Preferably talented ones.
As somebody who makes a chunk of their money from "designer" stuff (not visual design, but user research, interaction design & user testing) I don't think it is entirely hype.
Just like you get a lot more people now who get the difference between a technical co-founder and "just hiring some developer", I'm encountering more people who understand the value that design can bring to an organisation. The change is by no means widespread, but there do seem to be more people who "get it" than their used to be.
