Ten years ago, “UX” was often a line item someone added near the end of a project. Today it sits at the centre of how good products get built. Here are the shifts that changed the job the most, and what they mean for anyone designing products now.
1. Mobile went from an afterthought to the default
For a long time, mobile meant shrinking a desktop site. Now most people meet a product on their phone first. That changed how we design:
- content and actions are prioritised for small screens, then expanded;
- touch, thumbs and one-handed use shape navigation;
- performance became part of the experience, not just an engineering concern.
2. Design systems replaced one-off screens
As products grew, redrawing every button stopped scaling. Design systems, with shared components, tokens and documentation, turned design into something teams could build on. The result is faster delivery, fewer inconsistencies, and designers spending their time on problems instead of pixels.
3. Research moved into the everyday
User research used to be a big, expensive phase. Now the best teams talk to users continuously: quick interviews, usability tests on prototypes and product analytics side by side. Decisions are made with evidence, and “I think users want…” is no longer enough.
4. Designers got a seat at the product table
UX designers are increasingly expected to understand the business: what drives revenue, retention and support costs. The role widened from “make it usable” to “make it work for users and for the company”. That’s why product designer has become such a common title.
5. Accessibility became non-negotiable
Contrast, keyboard navigation, screen readers and plain language used to be “nice to have”. Now they’re expected, and in many places legally required. Good accessibility also tends to make products better for everyone.
6. Personalisation and dark mode raised expectations
People now expect products to adapt to them: remembering preferences, respecting system settings like dark mode and reduced motion, and showing what’s relevant. Each of these adds states and edge cases designers have to think through.
What comes next: AI in the workflow and in the product
The next decade of UX is being shaped by AI in two ways:
- In how we work: AI tools now draft copy, generate layouts and even build working prototypes. The speed is real, but taste, judgement and an understanding of users matter more than ever.
- In what we design: products increasingly include AI features, which brings new questions about trust, transparency and control. I write about that in user-centred design in the age of AI.
What hasn’t changed
For all the new tools, the core of UX is the same as it was ten years ago: understand people, solve the right problem, test your assumptions and make things simple. The designers who keep doing that well will keep being valuable, whatever the next decade brings.
