STOP DOING UX CHEERLEADING

Summary from the TLDR Design newsletter

UX design has been reduced to "cheerleading" that legitimizes predetermined ideas rather than solving real problems, as stakeholders demand outputs rather than defining actual business goals. The "build, measure, learn" framework has devolved into a linear sequence where teams build first and validate later, using design research merely to soothe anxiety and justify decisions already made. This dysfunction—amplified by AI tools that generate quick prototypes—transforms designers into accountability sinks who take the blame when projects fail, while learning and course-correction become impossible.