The design of everyday product teams: Rethinking the role of UX

1. Introduction

I have spent my last 15 years leading across various sectors, from retail to product management, and is now the co-founder and CEO of Data Dao. I’m passionate about revolutionizing data usage, and drives innovation with a focus on democratizing data. Launched in October 2023, Data Dao’s vision is to make data easy to trust and understand, so everyone can make choices with confidence.

As I was offboarding from a product team recently, management asked me a question that caught me off guard: “How will we meet our deadlines now?” My immediate response was clear and decisive: “Get rid of all designers.” What initially seemed like a snarky remark turned out to be a profound realization. To meet deadlines — and even improve user experience — minimizing the role of UX designers may be the smartest move.

This made me rethink the current state of UX. While it was once intended to enhance products, it has become a significant barrier. The solution isn’t more design; it’s data.

This post argues that:

• UX design, in its current form, has become product development’s biggest obstacle
• Data-driven approaches are the key to creating truly user-centric products.
• The key to succesful products is to balance Data and Design

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2. The Problem with UX Today

The problem today is summarised as three statements:

• A shift from user-centered to design-centered
• An over-complication of the design process
• A disconnect between designers and users

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The Shift from User-Centered to Designer-Centered Design

UX design started with a clear goal: to create products that users love and find easy to use. But over time, this goal has shifted. Today, UX is more about the designers than the users. Designers have become gatekeepers of user experience, often prioritizing their vision over actual user needs. The focus has moved from solving real problems to creating visually appealing interfaces that win awards but fail users.

This shift has led to UX design being driven by subjective opinions rather than objective data. Designers, despite their good intentions, often lose sight of the actual user, making decisions based on trends, personal taste, or what they think is best. The result? Products that look great but fail to meet user expectations.

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Over-Complication of the Design Process

Design systems, which are supposed to streamline the process, often end up creating more work and delays.

The UX design process has become overly complicated. What was once a straightforward process of identifying user needs and creating solutions has turned into a cycle of endless iterations, design systems, and reviews. While iteration is important, it can become a roadblock when taken to extremes. If you feel the shoe fits, have a look at Jeff Goethelf advocating Lean UX.

Design systems, which should streamline the process, often end up causing more work and delays. Teams get bogged down in debates about button styles, font choices, and other details that don’t significantly impact user experience. This over-complication slows down product development and makes it harder for teams to move quickly and efficiently.

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The Disconnect Between Designers and Real Users

The most significant problem is the growing disconnect between designers and the users they are supposed to serve. Designers, often far removed from real users, create products that don’t align with real-world needs.

For example, a designer might prioritize a sleek, minimalist interface because it looks modern and trendy. But if a user can’t find the feature they need, the design has failed. This disconnect results in products that are aesthetically pleasing but not functional or user-friendly.

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3. The Case for Data-Driven Product Development

How does data-driven product development differ? You will find two chapters about the two principles as well as some real world examples below:

• Empowered engineers
• Leverage data to understand users
• Real-world examples

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Empowering Engineers and Product Teams

The solution lies in shifting the focus from design to data. Empower engineers and product teams to make user experience decisions based on data, not design trends or personal preferences. Removing the dependency on designers allows engineers and product managers to take full ownership of the user experience.

When engineers and product teams are responsible for the user experience, they become more invested in understanding users.

They are more likely to analyze data, run experiments, and iterate quickly based on insights. This approach leads to faster decision-making, fewer bottlenecks, and ultimately, better products.

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Leveraging Data to Understand User Behavior

Data provides objective insights into user behavior, preferences, and pain points. By analyzing data, teams can identify patterns and trends that are not immediately apparent through traditional UX methods. Instead of relying on speculative design, teams can use data to understand exactly how users interact with a product, where they encounter difficulties, and which features they value most.

With this data, teams can prioritize features and improvements that truly matter to users, leading to more focused product development efforts and better outcomes for both the company and the user.

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Examples of Data-Driven Success

There are numerous examples of companies that have successfully shifted to a data-driven approach and seen significant improvements in their products. Take Amazon, for instance. While the design of Amazon’s website may not win any beauty contests, it is relentlessly optimized based on data. Amazon continually runs A/B tests, analyzes user behavior, and tweaks its interface to maximize conversion rates and user satisfaction.

Another example is Netflix. By using data to understand viewing habits, Netflix has been able to optimize its recommendation algorithms, leading to increased user engagement and retention. The interface may not be the most visually stunning, but it’s incredibly effective at keeping users hooked.

These companies prioritize data over design, and the results speak for themselves.

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4. Balancing Data and Design

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The Role of UX Designers in a Data-Driven World

This isn’t to say that UX designers should be completely eliminated from the equation. In a data-driven world, UX designers will still play a valuable role — but that role might need to evolve. Instead of being the sole gatekeepers of user experience, designers could work more closely with data to inform their decisions.

“In God we trust. All others must bring data.” -W. Edwards Deming

By using data as a guide, designers can ensure that their work is aligned with user needs and business goals. Rather than relying solely on intuition or aesthetics, designers can use data to validate their ideas and create designs that are both beautiful and functional.

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Avoiding the Pitfalls of Over-Reliance on Data

Of course, there are risks to becoming too data-focused. If teams rely solely on data, they might lose the human touch that makes products enjoyable to use. Data can tell you what users are doing, but it doesn’t always explain why they are doing it. This is where design intuition and creativity come into play.

The key is to find a balance between data and design.

Data should inform decisions, but it shouldn’t dictate every move. There is still room for creativity, experimentation, and thinking outside the box — especially when it comes to creating delightful user experiences that data alone might not predict.

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5. Conclusion

Building the Ideal Everyday Product Team

The ideal product team is composed of two primary roles: those who build the product (engineers) and those in supporting roles. The supporting roles ensure that engineers have everything they need to deliver the best possible product. Design, while important as a proxy for the user, must never remove accountability for user experience from the rest of the team.

In this model, engineers are the primary decision-makers, empowered by data to make informed choices about user experience.

Designers provide valuable insights but do not hold sole responsibility for UX. The entire team must be invested in understanding and improving the user experience, ensuring that every decision is grounded in data and aligned with user needs.

By embracing this approach, teams can move faster, reduce bottlenecks, and deliver products that truly resonate with users. This is the future of product development — where data drives decisions, and everyone on the team is accountable for the user experience.

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Call to Action

If you’re a product leader or a member of a product team, take a step back and evaluate your current processes. Are you prioritizing design over data, or vice versa? What changes could you make to ensure that your product development is both efficient and user-focused? Consider experimenting with a more data-driven approach and see how it impacts your product and your users.

I’m committed to challenging the status quo, and this step is crucial for enhancing product teams. I also welcome challenges to my ideas, whether here or elsewhere.

P.S. Did you wonder why the handle is placed correctly on “my” paraphrase of the classical book cover? It’s because AI is probabillistic and this design is simply unlikely.

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