State of UX 2022
Saving the world is not a KPI:
Advocating for people while meeting business goals
In recent years, designers have realized how the digital products we create can be misused to spread far-right ideas, help extremist groups organize, propagate pandemic-related misinformation, and harm teens’ self-esteem. But while we as a design community might collectively agree that something is not right, we don’t necessarily agree on the roots of the problem. While some thought leaders are horrified about how user-centered design has failed its mission of putting people first, others remind us that the UX industry has always been horrifying for designers from marginalized communities. The reality is that while most people and companies pay lip service to ideals of social justice and inclusivity, they are not willing to give up their comfortable positions to make any significant changes.
Design is business.
The vast majority of designers work for for-profit companies, and their KPIs involve some sort of transaction with users — whether money, data, or attention. Design is not philanthropy. Similar to other teams like marketing or sales, design teams are an investment that companies make so that over time they can profit more, faster, and more regularly.
Our job isn’t to “improve people’s lives”.
This claim might look good on LinkedIn, but it sounds naive in less hypocritical forums. Our job is to demonstrate to stakeholders through our work that caring for customers actually leads to better business. We need to talk about positive impact through a pragmatic lens if we want our stakeholders to listen.
We have a responsibility.
Your app might not save the world, but you can still strive for equality within your team, accessibility with your products, and sustainable business practice at your company. Through this journey, we might need to form unions, convince stakeholders to give a damn, or even quit our company if we feel it’s crossed a line we’re not willing to cross.
Good business is human-centric.
Viviane Castillo shows us that it’s possible to advocate for people in profit-centric conversations. She’s even created an entire course dedicated to creating more humanity-centered practices.
Remember to give a damn.
As Sheri Byrne-Haber reminds us in her most recent book, just because we’re not saving the world doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give a damn. Accessibility is a great place to start having an impact.
Be open to honest conversations.
Being more transparent is the first step towards improving our industry. Designer Femke uses her YouTube channel to talk candidly about design salaries and careers.
Design won’t save the world but you can still save Design.
