UX, It's a Trap
At some point in your career, you’ve probably heard:
“Everyone should learn UX.”
And in theory, that sounds great. Awareness matters. Empathy matters.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: UX is a trap.
When the UX wave hit one of my previous companies, leadership went all-in. Everyone — developers, project managers, team leads — was herded into workshops to “learn UX.” The idea was simple: if everyone knows a bit about it, the product will naturally get better.
It didn’t.
We did learn something valuable though: UX isn’t a skill you can just pick up. It’s not a checklist or a process. It’s a mindset — and not everyone has it.
The side effect? Suddenly everyone thought they did.
If I had a dollar for every person who said,
“I really like this UX thing — I think I’m good at it,”
I’d have enough to build a pretty nice usability lab.
The problem with UX is that it fools people into thinking they’re good at it — and worse, it convinces others of the same.
Because UX isn’t about screens, buttons, or pretty interfaces.
It’s about emotions, frustrations, and those tiny, invisible details that make an experience feel right.
But here’s the twist: it’s not about your feelings.
It’s about theirs.
And that’s why UX is a trap.
