Why UX Designers Are Becoming the Devil’s Advocates of the Profession

The evolution of design, the rise of product designers, and the growing challenge of balancing user needs with business goals in a rapidly changing industry.

As digital products and services become ever more integral to our daily lives, the role of UX designers has expanded dramatically. What was once a field focused on making technology user-friendly has evolved into a profession that challenges fundamental business decisions, ethical considerations, and long-term product strategies. More often than not, UX designers find themselves playing the role of the “Devil’s Advocate”—a critical yet often misunderstood position within organizations.

The Evolution: From Design to UX to Product Design

The role of design in the business world has evolved significantly over the past few decades. Initially, design was seen primarily as a way to make products aesthetically pleasing. Designers focused on visual elements like branding, colors, and layouts—emphasizing the “look and feel” of a product.

As businesses began to understand the importance of user-centered approaches, UX designers emerged. They shifted focus from just visual appeal to how products function and how users experience them. The goal became creating products and services that are not only functional but intuitive and delightful to use.

Today, with the rise of the product designer role, the designer’s focus has expanded further. Product designers think about the entire product ecosystem, balancing user experience with business goals, technology, and market demands. They’ve become key players in shaping product strategy and ensuring that products solve both user needs and business objectives.

However, this evolution hasn't been without its challenges. Along with the growth of the profession, we’ve seen a shortage of senior practitioners with the depth of experience needed to champion user-centric design—and this has led to more UX professionals playing the Devil’s Advocate role.

The Erosion of Senior Talent in UX Design

One of the reasons for the current lack of experienced senior practitioners in the UX/Design industry is due to a shift in leadership that took place years ago. Creative and art directors, often from visually-led backgrounds, entered the UX space and took on leadership roles, which shifted the focus from user-centric design to visually driven aesthetics.

These visually-led leaders hired seniors who shared this focus but lacked the necessary UX experience. Consequently, many midweight and junior designers learned UX/UI as a hybrid role but never developed a deep, user-centric mindset. This led to a significant gap in user-centered design knowledge, stunting the growth of the profession and limiting the transfer of crucial insights to new practitioners.

Now, the industry is feeling the consequences. True user-centric senior UX designers are rare at a time when they are needed the most. Design leadership historically invested in UX/UI, focusing more on aesthetics than on the user, and now they are dealing with the future state they explicitly created.

The Impact of UX Courses and Certifications

Another factor affecting the design profession is the proliferation of UX courses and certifications. While these programs can be a helpful introduction to the field, they often create a false sense of mastery. As a result, many consider themselves UX professionals without having developed a solid foundation in the discipline’s core principles. This influx of practitioners, who may lack in-depth design thinking, research skills, or user empathy, has diluted the quality of design and decision-making in the profession.

Bridging the Gap: Lack of Experience Meets Business Pressure

This wave of less-experienced designers often lacks the confidence or understanding needed to challenge business decisions effectively. Without a strong grasp of user-centric design, they may struggle to advocate for long-term user needs when faced with business pressures to deliver quick wins or meet short-term goals. As a result, the delicate balance between user needs and business objectives becomes harder to maintain, especially in environments that prioritize speed over depth of user research and design thinking.

1. Balancing Business Goals with User Needs

At the core of UX and product design is the desire to create products and services that function well while meeting user expectations. This often means challenging business decisions that prioritize short-term revenue over the user experience. When product teams or stakeholders push for features that generate quick returns but harm the user experience, it is the UX and product designers who push back, advocating for long-term user satisfaction.

This balance requires designers to speak up, ask tough questions, and sometimes challenge decisions, even when they are supported by business data. It positions them as the "Devil’s Advocate" within organizations.

2. Guardians of Ethical Design

Ethical considerations in design are more critical than ever. From privacy and data handling to inclusivity and accessibility, today's digital products deeply impact users' lives. UX and product designers are often the ones raising concerns about these issues, ensuring that product development respects not only business objectives but also ethical standards.

Whether pushing back on dark patterns that manipulate users or advocating for transparency in data usage, UX and product designers have become the ethical compass of many organizations.

3. Challenging the “Quick Win” Mentality

Organizations frequently seek fast results through "quick wins." While such solutions may deliver short-term success, they can lead to long-term problems for both users and the business.

Designers, drawing from research and user insights, often challenge the notion of quick fixes, advocating instead for more sustainable solutions that genuinely address user pain points. This approach may delay time-to-market but helps ensure a stronger, more durable product in the long run.

4. Advocating for Accessibility and Inclusion

Another area where UX and product designers are increasingly stepping into the Devil’s Advocate role is in advocating for accessibility and inclusion. Ensuring that digital products are usable by everyone, including people with disabilities, is essential—but often met with resistance due to perceived costs or time constraints.

Designers frequently have to push for accessibility changes, even when it requires rethinking processes or adding additional resources. However, inclusive design is no longer a "nice-to-have"; it's a business and ethical imperative.

5. Managing Stakeholder Expectations

The transition from design to UX, and now product design, has added layers of complexity to the role. Where design used to be about aesthetics, today’s product designers are responsible for balancing user experience, business goals, and technical feasibility. Educating stakeholders on this broader role is challenging but critical.

Designers often find themselves influencing and managing expectations across different departments. This means pushing back against overly simplistic or rushed solutions, ensuring that the final product remains functional, user-friendly, and aligned with business objectives.

The Risks for the Design Profession

As designers take on the role of the Devil’s Advocate, they face several risks that could impact the future of the profession:

• Isolation: Frequently challenging decisions can isolate designers within teams, creating friction with other departments. This may reduce collaboration and make it harder to gain buy-in for user-centric ideas.
• Perceived as Obstacles: Designers who consistently raise concerns about user experience or ethical design risk being seen as blockers to progress. This perception can damage their influence and credibility within the organization.
• Creativity Compromise: The pressure to align with business goals and timelines can limit creativity. Designers may feel constrained, unable to explore innovative solutions that prioritize user needs over immediate business results.
• Burnout: Constantly advocating for ethical, user-centered design in the face of resistance can lead to frustration and burnout, especially when progress feels slow or met with resistance.

Why Being the Devil’s Advocate is a Good Thing

Though the Devil’s Advocate role comes with its challenges, it is essential to the long-term success of both the product and the organization. Without it, teams risk overlooking user needs, ethical considerations, and sustainable practices, which can ultimately erode trust and reduce the product’s impact.

By standing firm in their advocacy, designers ensure that user-centric principles remain a core part of product development, helping businesses create products that are not only functional but also meaningful, ethical, and enduring.

And remember...

?? When your design team raises concerns or challenges the status quo, it's worth listening—they may be saving your product, and your brand, from avoidable pitfalls.

#Design #ProductDesign #UserExperience #EthicalDesign #Accessibility #Inclusion #DesignLeadership #ProductDevelopment #DesignForChange