UX isn’t dying—it’s being redefined.
As the industry matures, the oversimplification of UX into soundbites and templates has diluted its depth. Social media promotes checklists over context, and frameworks are mistaken for solutions rather than starting points. The result? A field that often feels reduced to buzzwords, much like “design thinking” before it.
Meanwhile, AI is automating the routine, forcing UX professionals to move beyond execution. The real value now lies in what machines can’t replicate: strategic thinking, taste, and the ability to connect dots in ways that algorithms can’t. UX isn’t vanishing—it’s demanding more from those who practice it.
At the same time, the job market is shifting. Mass layoffs and team restructures have blurred the lines between strategy, product and UX, prompting rebrands and catch all’s like “experience design” or “insights research” as teams search for their place. But a title change won’t fix the deeper issue: UX remains essential, yet its practitioners must continuously demonstrate its value. The future of UX belongs to those who navigate its evolving role with adaptability and depth—moving beyond templates to embrace its full complexity.
To survive and thrive in UX’s next chapter:
Adapt—AI will reshape roles, but adaptability ensures relevance.
Empathize—Bridge the gap with stakeholders instead of isolating UX.
Balance—User goals matter, but so do business outcomes.
Think beyond templates—Frameworks are starting points, not solutions (I’ll expand on this point in my next post).
The future of UX isn’t dead—it’s demanding more from us.
Will you rise to the challenge?
Reference:
Brookshier, K. UX Job Listings Plunged in 2023. Indeed Design. August 2023. https://indeed.design/article/ux-job-listings-plunged-in-2023/.
CompTIA. State of the Tech Workforce 2024. March 2024. https://www.comptia.org/content/research/state-of-the-tech-workforce.
The UX reckoning prepare for 2025 and beyond K. Moran, S. Gibbons NN/g 1/2025 https://bit.ly/42CP6XP
Teixeira, F. and Braga, C. “UX Trends.” UX Collective. https://trends.uxdesign.cc
UXPA International. 2024 UX Salary Survey. November 2024. https://uxpa.org/wpcontent/uploads/sites/9/2024/11/UXPA_SalarySurvey_2024_v1.pdf.
