Weathering the Storm: The Midlife UX Crisis
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:
Companies are prioritizing speed over quality. This isn’t a new problem, but one making a strong comeback. Designers are pressured to make quick decisions and assumptions in their work without the guarantee of revisiting them to move on to the next thing. Treating features as flavors-of-the-week comes with neglecting user needs and at the cost of creating substandard experiences.
User Research is consistently on the cutting room floor, with continued layoffs trending in the tech industry. Research is commonly treated as something that costs both money and time that many are unwilling to invest. Instead, designers may find themselves taking this role to the best of their ability, trending them back into a generalist role that assumes more responsibility. Or even worse, it gets ignored entirely.
UX Practitioners continue to diligently fight, advocate, and evangelize the value they bring. Despite the many studies, success stories, and organizations that embody and/or showcase good design — many still treat design as pixels to be pushed over problems to be solved. It’s still a shared norm that designers must paint the house without fixing the underlying foundation.
AI has both excitement and skepticism. It can accelerate the ability to deliver quality experiences and compensate where designers may lack data, support, and resources. However, it comes at the potential cost of replacing the work we do (Figma is watching you).
I have seen various ways UX has regressed throughout my design career. I’ve started to feel insane that in each new role I step in, the environment is increasingly worse, and I repeatedly face the same problems I worked through in the role before. How often will I have to advocate that design should have an equal seat at the table as other roles when making decisions (engineering, product management, etc)? How many times will I have to push for validating decisions through research over designing purely on assumptions? How often will I have to create experiences for the sake of an announcement at an event over making scalable, durable decisions? How much longer do designers and other UX practitioners need to wait to get the overdue recognition they deserve?
The answer: I have no idea. And I’m tired.
I’m only human. My job requires me to work with other humans and create impactful experiences for humans. We all have our priorities, ambitions, goals, and mindsets that may never align or be understood. And you may read this and say to yourself, “Yeah, Jessi, but this is what is expected of UX — stop complaining. How do you expect UX to mature if you’re not willing to make the push?” And you’re absolutely right; any role that isn’t recognized as valuable comes with some much-needed grit to be an agent of change for yourself, your team, your company, and the industry.
So…what now? How do we stay sane in an environment that may do everything to make us think otherwise?
I’m no expert, and I don’t know everything. But I do know what’s worked well for me throughout my career. These are 3 things that I’ll focus on for 2025 and the years to come. And I hope they will be helpful to you in some way:
1. Be a change agent. Be an advocate for yourself.
I know, I know. I was complaining about how this is a never-ending struggle. But there are so many ways to have a positive impact that can change things for the better, even if it’s exclusively for your benefit. Start small and expect to fail, but learn. Change is scary and will always come with some amount of resistance. Recognize what’s in your control and try new or different things that may be beneficial. Whenever possible, speak up and don’t accept things as they are, especially if it doesn’t make sense. What you learn from whatever you try is crucial in moving the needle.
2. Build meaningful relationships.
You’re not alone. There are people here to support and uplift you, in or outside of work. If you struggle to progress, have conversations with anyone interested in your challenges, ideas, or perspective. Be sure to listen actively to theirs too . These could be fellow team members (especially if you work on a cross-discipline team), individuals across your organization, a former colleague, or even someone you’ve connected with on LinkedIn. Use this dynamic to ask tough questions, such as considering if something is the right thing to do.
Having allies can help create a coalition that fosters alignment, collaboration, and a sense of community. At the very least, it can be a sanity check and provide a space to unload.
3. Disconnect.
Work is important. You were brought into whatever role you’re currently in for a reason — because you can have an impact. Whether it’s your craft, personality, or potential, people have expectations and rely on you. However, we are setting the bar unreasonably high for ourselves more often than not. We push ourselves to do more than what’s asked of us because we know it’ll work towards a positive outcome.
But everyone has limits. It’s easy to ignore those limits and ultimately fall into the abyss of burnout. Know your limits and when to ask for help. If you feel you’re doing too much, get someone else involved. If you’re working overtime to get something done, understand and acknowledge the cost to you. I’m not suggesting that these are situations you should avoid, but they will weigh on you to some degree and test your resilience.
Push yourself as far as you want, but don’t beat yourself up. Be proud of yourself and your contributions, but also be able to walk away. You do not need to pull heroics time and time again. Bring people along for the ride and learn together.
For those that made it this far, thank you.
I’ve wanted to share my thoughts, experiences, and ideas about UX for a long time. I always felt that others did a much better job doing it, so why bother? Over time, I realized that I, too, have a voice and can use it, even if it’s echoing what others have been saying. I also want to use this as an opportunity to platform others who deserve recognition. So we’ll see what happens.
Until next time 👋