Parenting is a lot like assembling IKEA furniture without instructions. It appears easy enough, but you constantly find yourself putting parts together incorrectly or have no clue what to do. I have a preschooler and a 15-month-old, and I can confidently say that I learned a lot about myself in the short time they’ve been in my life. It has humbled me in several ways, from developing an extraordinary amount of patience to adapting how I communicate to help my kids understand and grow.

The UX industry is in an interesting place. Over the past decade, we’ve witnessed tremendous growth in the field, with UX practitioners becoming more specialized to hone their craft: research, design, accessibility, testing, operations, writing, engineering, strategy — the list could go on. There is infinite potential in what UX can contribute, and it’s incredibly exciting. However, with the end of 2024 upon us, there’s been a worrying shift in the current state of UX.