These separations are completely arbitrary in practice. I've seen many seniors not doing any technical designs, and I've seen many juniors expected to stand on

These separations are completely arbitrary in practice. I've seen many seniors not doing any technical designs, and I've seen many juniors expected to stand on their own two feet when it comes to making technical designs, sometimes to the point of requiring those skills before getting a job. Reality is, the title means hardly anything anymore except "this person has this many YoE" and whatever value the company attaches to the title in a given context. That's what has made the title so watered down. Additionally, many graduates can make technical designs. They won't be the best. They won't think of everything. They likely don't have the foresight to think of problems happening along the way. But they are being taught how to convert requirements into a working solution during school years. I have a hard time believing "seniority" is defined by a few years of practical experience in something that was taught in school.