Is MacBook Air with 16 GB RAM sufficient for a visual designer's multitasking needs?

The Air will work fine.

I have a M1 MacBook Air and it barely gets warm in my usual workload which includes Xcode programing, graphic design in Gimp and movie editing in iMovie.

I'd spend the extra money on more RAM rather than a couple of fans on a MacBook Pro.

Also, the 15" M4 MacBook Air with 512GB of Storage and 24GB of RAM is currently going for $1399 on Amazon. full warranty and the option to get Apple Care+ for it.

click here ➜ 2025 M4 15" Macbook Air, 24GB RAM, 512GB Storage - Amazon.com

Pretty good deal.

Past experience with Adobe software suggests you should opt for 24GB RAM (or more) in a new computer instead of 16GB since Adobe apps generally grow in RAM needs with each new iteration of the products. What works fine in 16GB today may not next year or the following year.

If you currently have 16GB the 16GB should still work on the new one, however, if budget allows go for 24.

You'll never find yourself sitting there saying, "man I have too much RAM".

Go for as much RAM as budget allows.

Hard to say, as we don't know what kind of apps you use or how RAM they require.

How much RAM does your current Mac have?

Rule of thumb is, always get as much RAM as budget allows since it cannot be modified after purchase.

If you can get 24MB, go for 24. You'll find that you are sitting there saying "man... I have too much RAM".

You can custom-order M4 MacBook Airs and 14" M5 MacBook Pros with up to 32 GB of RAM. If you need more than that (unlikely, but possible), you would need to look at a 14" or 16" MacBook Pro with a M4 Pro or M4 Max chip. (M5 Pro and M5 Max chips aren't out yet.)

Compare Mac Models - Apple

If you are thinking of going from a MacBook Pro to an iPad, note that iPads do not run macOS. Although some of them have very fast hardware (similar to that of a low-end Mac notebook), and there are serious applications that run on iPads, I think that you're going to find that macOS and Windows still are, for the most part, better content creation platforms. If you want an iPad for what it is, fine – but don't buy one thinking that you are going to get a Mac tablet with a touch screen.