The UX paradox: how we diminish our own influence

6 common ways we deliver a bad experience, and reduce our own value.

Everyone has their own experience working with UX professionals: good, bad or indifferent. Unfortunately, the impact of a negative experience with UX has an exponential effect over time. One poor experience has a snowball effect on how we are perceived, supported, and even calls into question our relevance and efficacy. Herein lies the paradox. Creating a positive experience is our primary job, yet we often do a poor job at applying our skills to the people and processes around us. Let’s review 6 common ways we deliver a bad experience, and reduce our own value.

“Unfortunately, the negative impact of a poor experience with UX has an exponential effect over time.”

1. Identity Crisis

CX, UX, UCD, HCD, UI, UR, IXD, IA, SD, Product Design… We have a funny way of wanting to stand out from the crowd, and differentiate ourselves from the masses. This can be unsettling to those around us, especially the ones who are still getting used to working with UX. We confuse people in the industry with the constant re-imagining of ourselves, our titles, terms, and areas of focus. In our effort to differentiate…