The Case of the Vanishing UX Designers?
A few honest thoughts from the UX Lobster — me
Hello, dear reader! Welcome — or welcome back! Almost there as November fades and the year’s final chapter approaches! I find myself reflecting — not on metrics or case studies, but on questions. Quiet, open-ended questions shared each Monday with fellow designers. The kind of questions that didn’t promise anything. They simply asked.
It began in February and every Monday since, I’ve posted a poll on LinkedIn: simple, concise. Not targeting users. Targeting us — the creators. Designers, builders, thinkers. People who care about craft, systems, and the silent emotional weight of digital work. The idea wasn’t to prove a point. There was no hidden agenda. Just a desire to explore where we UX-ers, as a field stand. What frustrates us and what excites us. What we silently agree on, and where we disagree? A huge thank you to the communities that hosted these conversations, especially “Designers Talk: Graphic, web, digital design and creative professionals” and “User Experience & Design Thinking.” Your openness made this series possible.
🙌 As always, please share your thoughts down below in the comment section 👇👇. Yes, you know it, I always want to know. 🤓
In the meantime let’s chase to the point.
What I asked and how it landed
My questions varied — from workflow pain points to role identity to burnout and naturally AI too. Each Monday had its own tone. Some posts reached over a thousand people. Others barely got seen. But engagement was never the point. The goal was rhythm, repetition and discovery. Watching what changed (and what didn’t) as the months passed.
Here’s what emerged across the year — not as data points, but as signals.
Early in the year — trend fatigue and identity blur
The first posts were lighter in tone. What UI trend should disappear? Are you more UI or UX? Should we really still be learning SQL? These questions got a healthy response, especially when they poked at tools or titles. Designers seemed tired of being categorized — but also unsure what being “just a designer” even means anymore.
Spring brought strategy — or the lack of it
When I asked about being involved in product strategy or roadmap planning, designers responded quickly. The answer was always yes: we should be there. But the reality? Most still aren’t. There was frustration, but not surprise. Just the same story — again.
Summer arrived with systems — and tension
June and July were dominated by design systems, token bloat, and the feeling of doing polished work that didn’t feel like design anymore. The question “Do design systems kill creativity?” split people down the middle. No one was neutral. The responses felt like passive resistance: Yes, we know it works. No, we don’t love it.
Autumn turned inward
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As the year went on, the questions got more personal. Do you still feel ownership over your work? Are you expected to design, test, present, and code? Do you ever wonder if you still want to be in UX? These posts were the least engaged — but the most revealing. Sometimes silence is not a lack of interest. It’s a sign that we’re hitting too close.
A month-by-month glance
Over the past ten months, I shared 42 questions. Some were repeated across different groups. Some gained traction. Others remained quiet. Here’s a breakdown:
- February opened with a strong engagement: “What’s one UI trend you wish would disappear in 2025?” This question alone reached over 1,200 impressions across platforms. Skeuomorphism, glassmorphism, endless onboarding patterns — all received their share of critique.
- March explored the classic friction: function vs form. Which matters more? And when? The votes leaned slightly toward usability, but the comments told a more nuanced story.
- April to May dove into aesthetics, invisible design, nostalgia, and the emotional undertones of interface work. Views dropped. One poll had as little as 75 impressions. But engagement, when present, felt genuine. Designers were still willing to reflect.
- Summer brought quiet. Posts in June to August showed a natural dip in views and votes. A reminder that digital life, too, needs seasons.
- Autumn, however, brought energy back. September and October focused on tools, burnout, purpose, and ownership. The questions became bolder. Some were met with silence. Others sparked comments that lingered.
What stood out?
Among the 42 prompts, a few left a mark. The biggest takeaway? Designers are tired of trends. The craving for timeless solutions, clarity, and meaning is louder than any design fad.
Ownership came up repeatedly — not always in the question, but in the way people responded. Who owns the design once it ships? Who’s responsible for the outcome? The votes might be small, but the tension is real. 🤓
What these questions uncovered (even when no one answered)
By the end of ten months, a few truths settled in. Not as insights, but as atmospheric facts — felt, if not always spoken.
UX Designers want to contribute strategically. But most are still asked to decorate, not direct. We’ve grown more comfortable with systems and standards. But it’s come at a cost — often creativity, sometimes autonomy.
AI is present in our tools, in our language, in our inboxes. But it’s still not in our process. Not yet. It looms, but doesn’t lead.
And perhaps the most important thing: the more emotionally honest the question, the lower the response rate. That doesn’t mean it didn’t resonate. It means we’re not sure it’s safe to answer? 🤔
Where are we, really?
UX isn’t broken. But it’s blurred.
We’re being asked for more than ever. Yet our sense of ownership is fading. We design faster, we test more, we iterate endlessly. But we pause less and I guess we’re in more meetings too. But we speak less freely. 🧐
Yet! Still — we’re here. Designing (epic stuff), adjusting (with the world around) and listening (to break through the noise).✌️
This is it for now. My UX Monday Buzz will return in 2026 — not with more polish, but with more precision. Maybe as a newsletter and with more space for context. Add me to your mailbox here of course would be great to connect on LinkedIn too and let’s get the UX conversation rolling!
We won’t fix the field in a post. But we can reshape the temperature. Not by asking for a seat at the table — but by pulling up a chair and starting the conversation.
Because if design has taught us anything, it’s this: we don’t move forward by being louder, we move by listening better. If you enjoyed this article — follow for more! Your engagement really makes a difference, and I deeply appreciate it 🙌
Thank you for your time.
Until next time. 🖖 Until we buzz again! ✌️
Your UX Lobster — that’s me.
