The UX job market is changing faster than ever, leaving many designers wondering how to stay relevant. Economic pressures, role confusion, and the rise of AI have reshaped expectations, making adaptability and impact the keys to thriving in this hyper-competitive field.
Years of boot camps—while not inherently a bad way to learn—have led to a significant influx of junior designers entering the field. This saturation has made it increasingly difficult for newcomers to secure roles, especially as some companies take advantage of the situation by prioritizing overqualified candidates for entry-level positions to cut costs and get more bang for their buck. At the same time, mid-career professionals are stuck—too experienced for senior roles but not quite ready for leadership positions.
Meanwhile, globalization has added a layer of complexity. Many organizations are offshoring UX roles or leveraging visa programs like H1B to access talent at lower costs, limiting opportunities for local candidates.
AI is also reshaping our work, streamlining certain design tasks, and shifting expectations for mid-level roles. Companies increasingly value designers who balance multiple disciplines, including UX, UI, strategy, and more.
In this environment, designers need a breadth of expertise and the ability to connect their work to business outcomes—not just to stand out but to stay relevant and make a lasting impact.
Adding to the frustration, some companies are posting “ghost jobs”—positions that aren’t genuine but are instead used to gauge market interest or give the illusion of active hiring. For candidates, it’s more than just frustrating—it’s deeply disheartening and demotivating.
So, how can designers navigate this challenging market? A great portfolio alone is no longer enough. To stand out, designers must focus on upskilling, broadening their expertise, and showcasing how their work delivers measurable business impact.
The reality is clear: succeeding in this competitive field requires more than technical proficiency—it calls for resilience, strategic thinking, and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth.
The disconnect in UX thought leadership
The role of thought leaders in UX is facing increasing scrutiny, as many professionals express frustration over how out of touch some prominent figures appear with the realities of modern design work. A frequent criticism is that these leaders emphasize theory, high-level strategy, and abstract ideas, often neglecting the practical, actionable skills designers need to thrive in their roles.
This disconnect is most obvious when advice ignores the realities of modern design work—tight deadlines, limited resources, and complex organizational dynamics. While early thought leadership played a crucial role in shaping UX, today’s market demands more from makers—designers who craft great experiences and connect their work to measurable business impact. Many now call for thought leadership that better reflects these realities—one that balances strategy with execution and adapts to reality.
Strategic vs. tactical work
At the same time, people are growing frustrated with the tendency to undervalue tactical work in favor of strategy. While strategic thinking is critical for aligning design with business goals, it often takes precedence over the hands-on work that directly improves user experiences.
Many designers feel that this imbalance makes it harder to demonstrate the value of their contributions. Execution is frequently sidelined in favor of broad strategic discussions that lack a direct connection to delivering better products. The problem isn’t strategy itself—it’s a strategy that remains disconnected from execution.
The most effective designers aren’t just tactical executors or abstract strategists. They bridge the two, ensuring strategic thinking leads to real, tangible improvements in user experience.
This disconnect becomes especially clear when UX work isn’t tied to clear business impact, making it difficult for teams to showcase their value. Tactical contributions—like refining user interfaces, prototyping new concepts, or iterating based on user feedback—are the building blocks of a great user experience and directly influence key performance metrics. Without these efforts, strategy risks becoming abstract and removed from the realities of delivering value.
In an unpredictable market, the designers who thrive aren’t just those who understand execution or strategy in isolation—they’re the ones who can quickly adapt to shifting priorities, advocate for their work, and find ways to keep delivering impact.
Jess Eddy
A balanced approach is essential
Strategy and execution shouldn’t be seen as opposing forces but as inseparable parts of effective design. The best strategy enables designers to execute with greater clarity and impact. When organizations value both equally, they bridge the gap between vision and execution, ensuring that ideas don’t just exist in theory but translate into meaningful outcomes.
The challenge of role confusion in UX
One of the most pressing challenges UX professionals face today is role confusion, often leading to undervaluation and even layoffs. Many organizations still lack a clear understanding of UX, treating it as a “nice-to-have” rather than a business-critical function. This misunderstanding frequently results in UX teams being seen as expendable or having their responsibilities absorbed by other departments to cut costs.
The increasingly blurred lines between UX and related disciplines worsen the problem. Designers are increasingly stretched beyond their core responsibilities. They are expected to handle UX and UI, business strategy, and tasks far outside their expertise, from project management to front-end development. This ‘and and and’ problem stretches teams thin, forcing individuals to juggle multiple responsibilities without adequate support or recognition.
Role confusion extends beyond UX teams.
Product managers, developers, or others in non-UX roles may assume they can handle UX tasks after minimal exposure to the discipline. This oversimplification devalues the specialized knowledge, methodologies, and user-centered approaches essential to effective UX design.
To address this challenge, UX professionals must advocate for their discipline by clearly communicating the unique value UX brings to the organization. This includes defining boundaries for responsibilities and educating stakeholders about the expertise required to deliver meaningful results. By doing so, UX teams can help ensure their contributions are understood, valued, and protected within the evolving workplace.
Industry maturity and global dynamics
The UX industry continues to grapple with significant differences in maturity across organizations.
Many still operate at a low level of UX adoption, where design is treated as an afterthought rather than a strategic priority. This limits the discipline’s potential to deliver meaningful impact and keeps it from reaching its full value within these environments.
At the same time, global dynamics are shifting.
A growing pool of UX talent from countries with lower labor costs has increased competition, making it harder for professionals in higher-cost regions to secure opportunities and maintain job stability. While this global expansion enriches the industry with diverse perspectives, it also heightens concerns about job security and downward pressure on wages.
For many UX professionals, undervaluation remains a persistent issue.
Limited appreciation for the discipline and a perception that design is expendable have raised questions about its long-term sustainability in certain sectors. To address these challenges, organizations must deepen their understanding of UX’s strategic importance and create environments where design is valued as a critical driver of business success.
Evolving as a UX professional
As the UX field becomes increasingly competitive, designers must adapt by expanding their skill sets and proving their impact. Upskilling—whether by mastering new tools, advancing prototyping techniques, or deepening business acumen—has become essential to staying relevant. Today, designers are expected to work beyond traditional UX boundaries, navigating a blend of technical, strategic, and operational responsibilities.
Jess Eddy
However, this evolution raises an important question: does adapting to these demands risk compromising the core principles of UX? With the growing emphasis on aligning with business goals and delivering measurable results, there’s a genuine concern that the discipline’s user-centered foundation may become sidelined.
For many, this balancing act can feel like a choice between staying employable and staying true to the craft.
This tension highlights a deeper debate
Should UX professionals focus solely on personal growth to meet market demands or advocate for systemic changes within organizations that misunderstand or undervalue the discipline? While professional development is vital, addressing structural issues—such as low UX maturity or misaligned expectations—may be equally important for shaping the industry's future.
The UX industry is changing fast and with the expectations placed on designers.
Competition is fierce, roles are evolving, and many companies are struggling to define where UX fits. Thought leadership often feels disconnected from reality, and strategy is often prioritized at the expense of organizational execution. Many designers feel undervalued, stretched thin, or unsure how to prove their impact.
But despite these challenges, the core of UX remains unchanged: solving meaningful problems for users. The difference now is that designers must do more than execute—they must advocate for their work, connect it to business outcomes, and navigate the forces shaping the industry.
This doesn’t mean adopting a strategy for strategy’s sake—the kind that sidelines execution and focuses on broad, abstract discussions. Instead, it’s about using strategy as a tool for impact:
- Strategy as a survival tool → Designers cannot rely solely on execution; they must advocate for their work, show its value, and connect it to business impact.
- Strategy as a complement to craft → It is not a replacement for hands-on design but a way to give it greater influence and visibility in the organization.
When UX is challenged, designers who adapt—not by abandoning execution but by correlating it with strategy—will thrive. The path forward isn’t about choosing between tactical work and strategy but ensuring that one reinforces the other.
By staying flexible, advocating for UX’s role, and delivering practical work with measurable impact, you can manage these shifts and define your role and the future of UX itself.
