Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
Coffee with Lou
Summary
Key Insights
-
•
The UX profession is experiencing a downturn with layoffs and hiring freezes, especially in tech companies.
-
•
Design and research operations roles are expected to grow, as infrastructure and tooling become harder to cut.
-
•
AI is replacing lower-level design tasks, freeing UX professionals to focus on interaction design, information architecture, and service design.
-
•
Authenticity and creating a narrative about your unique value is critical for standing out in hiring processes.
-
•
Networking and maintaining personal connections are vital for finding new UX job opportunities.
-
•
Broadening UX to include related fields like CX, service design, and public sector work opens new career avenues.
-
•
The term 'UX' is evolving from a distinct field to an ingrained attribute within organizations.
-
•
Competitive job markets mean that even highly qualified candidates face challenges due to volume of applicants.
-
•
Portfolio storytelling, including demonstrating ROI through tools like money slides, helps communicate UX impact.
-
•
Helping companies mature their UX practice rather than seeking only mature organizations can be a rewarding career path.
Notable Quotes
"The state of the UX profession just totally sucks, doesn't it?"
"You can't lay off the infrastructure, like the tooling and operations teams; they're harder to cut."
"AI is fascinating for doing low-level design tasks so we can focus on higher-level service and systems design."
"Having a narrative and a point of view about how you deliver value is key in interviews."
"Networking isn't just knowing people, it's about staying in warm connection with people over time."
"UX might just be becoming an attribute woven into everything, like the telephone once was."
"There’s always money for software, not for people."
"Finding the intersections between UX and other domains is where the most interesting opportunities are."
"Be authentic in your portfolio and speak to your unique experiences and values."
"Sometimes it's more fulfilling to help organizations build their UX maturity rather than only joining mature ones."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Think of AI not as a magic eight ball, but as a highly educated intern that can help with routine tasks."
Mark Interrante Harry MaxAI for Prioritization (3rd of 3 seminars)
July 11, 2024
"Storytelling drives outcomes. Build your good story."
Patrizia BertiniThe (r)evolution of designOps: It’s Time to Think (really) BIG
September 11, 2025
"Start small, try to learn as you go, and set realistic expectations to avoid being humbled when things go live."
Shan ShenTranslating UX Terms into Business Contexts
November 29, 2023
"Being data informed is not data driven—blindly following data can kill you, like the Challenger explosion."
Adam ThomasSurvival Metrics – Making Change in a Fast, Data-Informed, and Politically Safe Way
December 6, 2022
"Research really is the most predictive practice an organization has — we are the only ones who can really predict the future."
Robin BeersResearch as a Catalyst for Organizational Transformation
March 12, 2021
"If you’re rewarding designers for delivering on time, great, but if you reward them for delivering accessible products on time, you’ll get better results."
Sheri Byrne-HaberAccessibility at Scale
June 9, 2021
"Playbacks are stakeholder-focused meetings that sell the work’s story and drive buy-in, different from critiques focused on craft."
Joseph MeersmanSweating the Pixel: Scaling Quality through Critique
June 10, 2021
"Make a business case for yourself by bragging about your capabilities and making them applicable."
Deanna Washington Bria Alexander Jon Fukuda Saara Kamppari-Miller Farid SabitovConnecting the Ops: Plenary Panel and Closing Circle
September 9, 2022
"We built an equity learning community with 25 virtual sessions, 4 interagency roundtables, and one-on-one consultations with 37 agencies."
Aaron Stienstra Lashanda HodgeLeveraging Civic Design to Advance Equity and Rebuild Trust in the US Federal Government
December 8, 2021
