#99 Design Challenges 2025 : What You Need to Know to Stay Ahead
20:21 Share

Hello friends and welcome back to the future of UX where we explore the trends shaping the world of design, technology and innovation. And first of all, happy new year, happy 2025. I hope you all got a wonderful start into the new year with lots of exciting opportunities ahead of you. My name is Patricia Reiners, I'm your host and today in this podcast episode we are diving deeper

into the topic of the new year and about a lot of topics that have been on our minds in the last month or in the last year. So we are going to talk about what challenges are designers going to face in 2025? This is a super big topic and it's already starting to show up in our day-to-day work.

So for me, it was super important to really start the year with a little bit of reflection, think about what might be some challenges, some really big hurdles as well coming our way before we are diving into the big design trends in the next episode. So I would say, let's break it down together and figure out what it means for your career.

I already mentioned in the next episode we will talk about the solutions but today I really want to get real with you. These are my own thoughts and I usually would probably share these things with my close friends or in discussions that I'm having with colleagues but I felt

It's super important that I also share those thoughts with you so you hopefully can get a lot of inspiration and thoughts out of it and maybe ideas that help you to really make the best or the most out of this year. So last week I took some time off in the mountains reflecting on the past year and everything that has been happening in the UX industry and yeah like a really busy year.

And let me tell you, it really hit me how much things have shifted. It's not a small change that we are actually going through at the moment. I think the moment, it's one of those moments where you know we are really entering a completely new era.

But there's also a really big thing. I wouldn't say that this is all like a super big revolution or something, but it's more of a very natural evolution that's happening very naturally. We are not seeing jobs disappear overnight. Instead, roles are transforming and roles are changing.

And tasks that we have done for years are being reshaped by new tools, new expectations. And I want to be ready for what's coming. And to do that, we need to really understand where we're at right now and where you should focus your energy because I really want you to be prepared as well.

So think back to inventions like the printing press, the computer, the internet, all those digital revolutions that we went through. With each new tool, some jobs faded away, but also new roles emerged that you couldn't really see back then. This is just how history, this is how evolution generally works. Some things change.

are going away and then new things are coming and this is a cycle. And the design industry is no exception. So every time these shifts happen, we adapt. We find new ways to fit into the reality that's unfolding in front of us.

And in this episode, I really want to talk about four really big challenges that we will face this year. So grab your coffee, grab your tea, and I would say, let's jump right in. The first and I think most obvious challenge is AI. AI is a game changer and a disruptor. It's definitely one of the most obvious shifts, AI and design. And let's start by saying that

AI is no longer stoppable. Instead of resisting or boycotting it, we need to learn how to understand and use it effectively. AI can enhance creativity by handling lots of repetitive tasks, giving designers more time to focus on strategic and innovative work, ultimately making us more efficient and impactful. But often,

Fears really stem from ignorance and by gaining knowledge we can approach AI with clarity and with purpose.

And I'm still having those discussions with designers who are saying that they would like to boycott AI, that they don't want to do anything with it, that they think AI is really bad for the design, that there are so many disadvantages. It's great that you see that, that's awesome, but this is really, really holding you back. So I think it's important that we need to understand that AI will give us more time.

similar to how electricity, even dishwashers or washing machines revolutionized everyday tasks during the industrial revolution. So for example in my own workflow using AI tools like JGPT and Midjourney has saved hours of generating design ideas or automating repetitive tasks. I

I mean, I'm talking a lot about it. I created GPTs for basically every step of my process to help me with everything, to speed up. This is the only way that I am actually able to be capable of doing all these things because I am using AI to take over all these repetitive tasks that I don't want to do. And I think this is such a game changer. And I really want everyone to understand that AI is something that's here to stay.

And it looks like a really big challenge, but you can also really use it. I would say AI won't eliminate all jobs, but I think it will definitely change a lot of jobs. So to keep up, we must learn how to collaborate with AI and how to breathe it correctly. So AI can free us from those repetitive tasks. And then in the design industry, we all know there's plenty of that.

But I think here's the issue a little bit. I'm seeing many AI products and teams being developed without involving designers. And that's a big problem. While designers debate the danger of AI on LinkedIn, you know what I'm seeing every day, which makes me so sad. I mean, it's great that we discuss these things, but this is not where we should stop.

And meanwhile, companies are already building AI products without designers input because they are much more hesitant to really use AI to consult clients. And I think for us, it's crucial that designers engage in these conversations and ensure that design remains a part to AI development. So in 2025, one of the biggest challenges will be maintaining our seat at the table when it comes to shaping AI.

If we are not part of the process, we risk becoming irrelevant in these crucial discussions. UX is a long-term goal and incredibly important. But to participate in meaningful discussions about ethics and usage, you need to understand AI first. So learn how to use the right prompts, learn how to input the right information. That's how we stay relevant.

You can ask yourself: Have you already felt that shift? Let me know how AI is showing up in your workflows. If you do, just share that here in the comments. I'm definitely super curious. And now we are moving to the next really big topic and this is business. And I talk a lot about business as well, like business metrics over users.

Which is unfortunately, I mean, a not so nice trend that I'm seeing out there, which makes me really sad. So I would say the second challenge is something you've already seen, which is a shift in priorities from user-centric design to business-centric metrics.

I recently spoke with a product designer working at a fast-growing company and she told me that most of her day is spent optimizing funnels and conversion rates, really nudging the user. I mean, her team is, at least what she says, obsessed with metrics, with clicks, with retentions, with upsells. But she really feels that the user is getting a little bit lost in the process and honestly, she is not alone.

In 2025, this trend will only grow stronger unfortunately. So as companies face economic pressure, designers will be asked to prioritize growth and profit over crafting thoughtful experiences. So take any e-commerce site. You probably noticed those endless pop-up asking you to subscribe, get a discount or review your chart.

These tactics are all about squeezing more out of users. But, you know, I'm just really worried about where's the balance between optimizing for profit and respecting the user's journey because UX is a long-term goal. And I think this happens at the moment because UX is inherently future-looking. Whether it's developing a new feature or redesigning an existing one,

UX always promises happier users, but in the long term, in the future, not right now, in the long term. But in those really tough economic times where we are at the moment, companies often prioritize short-term survival over long-term investment. And UX is long-term and short-term is like all these nudges, all those maybe even dark patterns, maybe all those growth hacking tactics.

So I'm seeing businesses facing financial strain and they have two choices: either invest in innovative new products that might bring in new customers in the future, not right now, but in the future, or rather cutting the cost and focus only on what brings immediate sales. And unfortunately, many companies choose the second option because this is, you know, this is in the closer future, basically.

And as a result, a lot of UX roles, where focus on long-term user satisfaction, are often among the first to be cut. So the big challenge here is really finding ways to advocate for the user.

but also meeting business goals. It's about reminding stakeholders that GradUX leads to long-term success and not just short-term gains. This is something that will be a big challenge for probably every single one of us in the next year. Another challenge that I'm seeing is the diminishing value of craft.

With AI doing more of the groundwork, the role of a designer is shifting towards strategy and systems. And while this sounds very exciting and I think this is very important, it also means that lots of the hands-on, maybe also the creative side of design is not getting redundant, but is definitely evolving.

AI can take over repetitive tasks and freeing up designers to focus on higher-level creative and strategic work, areas where human input remains invaluable. It's about using AI as a tool to amplify creativity rather than replace it. So,

Think about the rise of AI-generated imagery. In the past, a brand would hire a photographer, a stylist, a creative team to produce unique visuals. And today, many companies are turning to AI-generated visuals because it's faster and cheaper. And if you have a look at the current landscape, really the big campaigns,

I would say like 70-80% of the images are AI generated, which is crazy. Sometimes you don't see it, but a lot of the images are AI generated and I think that's crazy. But so I'm wondering like what really happens to the craft? What happens to the human touch that makes a design memorable? It's very important that also we as designers learn how to strategically also curate the AI work and

Maybe shift a little bit from just like talking, just talking to AI, more about like redirecting or still personalize it. Okay, so now let's come to this episode's sponsor, Wix Studio. Web designers, let's talk about the C word, creative burnout.

Your client side has real portfolio potential, but between resourcing, feedback, end-tied budgets, and ever-tidier deadlines, it just doesn't make the cut. Wix Studio helps close that gap. Built for agencies and enterprises, you can bring your own vision to life and keep it alive with no-code animations, tons of AI tools, reusable design assets, and advanced layout tools. For your next project, check out wixstudio.com.

That's wixstudio.com. Yes, the challenge for us as designers will be to really bring back the craft in a way that adds value. Not focusing on craft that AI can do, but finding ways how to use your craft in ways that AI can't do, whether that's through storytelling, accessibilities, or maybe thoughtful interactions that machines can't replicate.

It's about finding a balance between efficiency and human creativity. And this is also why it's so important to understand AI, to understand what's capable of and what it's not capable of. By the way, for everyone who wants to dive a little bit deeper into the whole topic of AI,

Very soon there will be a compact version of the self-paced AI for Designer course. So this is all self-paced in your own time. You can finish it basically whenever you want. And during this course, you're going to learn how to use AI. You will learn how to understand AI.

and you're also going to design your very first AI case study. So very exciting opportunity. I'm going to share more about this in the description box. Be free to sign up for the waiting list and you also get a special bonus and some sign up topics. So definitely worth signing up. And now we are coming to the really big challenge number four, which is navigating organizational politics.

So I would say finally let's talk about something that doesn't get discussed enough and this is definitely all the organizational politics. So a friend of mine recently left a well-known tech company here in Germany and he told me that most of his time was spent in meetings and maybe it's very similar to you. He was aligning with stakeholders, he was balancing user needs with business goals and

Honestly, he said to me that he felt like he wasn't designing anymore. He wasn't designing anything. He was just navigating politics. And in many companies, designers now spend more time managing internal politics than actual designing.

And as companies grow, aligning different departments becomes more complex. And designers often find themselves stuck in meetings about stakeholder alignment and roadmaps and metrics. And it's not great that we are inviting to these meetings, but still, there are really big challenges. And as layoffs continue to impact the industry and job security remains a concern, designers will need to become better at advocating for their work.

Not just participating in meetings, but really talking about their work, advocating for design, advocating for UX. And it's about learning how to communicate the value of design to non-designers, making sure user needs don't get lost in this shuffle.

So in 2025, designers will face the challenges of really navigating complex organizational politics. This is only going to continue, I think, in the next years coming. They will need to advocate for user-centered design and environments increasingly focused on business goals. The key will be making sure your X remains visible and valuable, even as internal politics shift.

Let's do a little recap. The really big challenges for 2025 are of course AI as a game changer, balancing AI tools with human creativity. The second one is business metrics over users, prioritizing user needs in a business-driven world. Number three, the loss of the design craft. So bringing back the human touch in an AI-powered industry.

And number four is navigating the organizational politics, advocating for design within companies. I already mentioned in the next episode, we are going to dive a little bit into the solution space. So how to use all these challenges and make the most out of it for the next year, for the next years to come, actually. And we will also talk about the big design trends for 2025 that you as a designer need to be aware of.

But for now, that's it for today's episode. Next time.

We'll talk about the solution space. If you enjoyed this episode, please don't forget to subscribe or leave a review, like a five-star review. That would make me so, so happy. If you want to continue the conversation, please follow me on Instagram at your ex.patricia. We also have an Instagram account for the Future of Your Ex podcast. Connect, share, say hello. I'm always very, very happy to get to know you and hear about you, who you are,

and connect. Thank you so much for listening to the future of your ex. I would say until next time, keep designing the future and hear you in the future, my friends.