UX or PX? Why naming matters

From components to job titles, human systems design could be our identity for the future

Names hold power in design, from labeling UI elements to job roles. They shape identity and spark debates like “UX” versus “Product Designer.” Yet beyond terminology, our true purpose lies in crafting human-centered systems that drive real-world impact through thoughtful collaboration and adaptive thinking. (image source: Yeo, 2025)

The great naming debate: UX vs. PX

The UX design community erupted when Duolingo’s head of design declared that product experience (PX) is their new name. Normally, impact is not really felt when it’s a branding exercise, but this one felt personal due to the rejection of the word user experience. Here’s what Mig Reyes had to say about the new name for designers:

Direct Quote from LinkedIn: Today at Duolingo we renamed the “UX” function to “Product Experience”. Duolingo is a product-led company. Product drives our business, culture, and priorities. Our function includes Product Designers, Product Writers, and Product Researchers. We gave the umbrella name “UX” a shot. It never stuck. It didn’t feel like us. It felt… antiquated. (image source: LinkedIn)

Today at Duolingo we renamed the “UX” function to “Product Experience”. Duolingo is a product-led company. Product drives our business, culture, and priorities. Our function includes Product Designers, Product Writers, and Product Researchers. We gave the umbrella name “UX” a shot. It never stuck. It didn’t feel like us. It felt… antiquated.

Given that Duolingo is not your average EdTech company, such a statement draws in opinions, either through social media attention, reactions and comments. It is only Jakob Nielsen, the founder of the Nielsen Norman Group (NNG), and practically everyone's UX grandfather, who spoke up and sent a flurry of comments into a post on LinkedIn. Here is what Nielsen had to say about the new name:

Direct Quote from LinkedIn: If we backtrack 30 years, I would have agreed with this name. However, now we have the name “user experience” and have spent those 30 years promoting that name. So I don’t like changing it: https://www.uxtigers.com/post/ux-vocabulary-inflation (image source: LinkedIn)

If we backtrack 30 years, I would have agreed with this name. However, now we have the name “user experience” and have spent those 30 years promoting that name. So I don’t like changing it

It is amazing that we view product experience (PX) on one hand and user experience (UX) on the other hand, only to realise that we needed 10 hands across 40 years through Nilsen's lifetime as a design professional. Perhaps the rapid change in technology is causing many designers to rethink their responsibilities to their craft.

Or maybe it's just the nature of designers to pay attention to names.

The power of naming