Reflections from the 9th Annual State of UX Report by the UX Collective

In its ninth edition, the State of UX 2024 report by the UX Collective delivers a sharp and honest snapshot of where the design industry stands today. Drawing from over 1,000 curated articles and insights from a global community of over 500,000 readers, the report captures the patterns, tensions, and shifts that shaped UX throughout 2023.

This year’s theme? Late-stage UX — a term inspired by late-stage capitalism — describing an industry at a crossroads: oversaturated, increasingly driven by business metrics, and shaped by rapid automation.

What Defines Late-Stage UX?

The report outlines five key characteristics shaping the current UX climate:

1. Automation
   The rise of AI is transforming the design workflow. While it opens new creative doors, it’s also automating tasks once core to the designer’s role — particularly in entry- to mid-level positions.
2. Saturation
   There are now more designers than available roles, especially as companies scale back hiring and redefine design team structures post-pandemic.
3. Commoditization
   Design has become more about consistency and scalability than innovation or delight. Frameworks and design systems are prioritized over differentiated experiences.
4. Financialization
   Design decisions are now deeply entangled with business KPIs, shareholder value, and ROI metrics. Human-centered approaches are increasingly tempered by financial constraints.
5. Disintegration
   User trust is declining. Misinformation, dark patterns, and data exploitation have made many people skeptical, disengaged, or vulnerable in digital spaces.

The Design Community’s Response

Despite these challenges, the UX community continues to rise to the moment. The 2024 report doesn’t just critique—it celebrates the people and ideas pushing the industry forward with courage, creativity, and nuance. A few highlights:

• Writers and Thinkers
  Contributors like Daley Wilhelm, Slava Polonski, Rosie Hoggmascall, and Pavel Samsonov offered fresh, critical perspectives throughout the year—redefining what it means to practice thoughtful, ethical design.
• Data Storytelling
  Platforms like Pudding.cool stood out for their brilliant use of data visualization to unpack cultural and technological trends.
• Maggie Appleton’s Visual Essays
  A fusion of anthropology, programming, and design, her work challenges how we think about generative AI and technology’s role in our lives.
• Vivianne Castillo’s Advocacy
  A constant voice reminding us that our worth is not measured by output alone: “Breathe in: I am more than what I produce. Breathe out: My rest requires no apology.”
• Rest of World’s Editorial Excellence
  By spotlighting underrepresented markets and voices, they remind us that good design must be globally inclusive.
• Brad Frost’s Reflection on Atomic Design
  A bold invitation to re-examine the purpose behind our design systems: “Are we capturing human potential or just redrawing rectangles?”
• Conversations at Config and SmashingConf
  From Halli Thorleifsson’s vulnerable storytelling to the welcoming spirit of Vitaly Friedman’s events, the conferences proved that the design community still thrives on human connection and shared growth.
• Brazil’s Vibrant UX Scene
  Content creators across Brazil — Rafael Frota, Kakau Fonseca, Karina Tronkos and many more — continue to enrich the global conversation with original work in Portuguese, despite market pressures.

Looking Ahead

As we move deeper into 2024, the design industry faces tough questions — about its values, its direction, and its responsibility to users. The State of UX 2024 doesn’t offer simple answers, but it does offer something just as valuable: clarity, honesty, and a sense of community.

Want to deepen your knowledge of UI, UX, Branding, Develop, and Illustration? Read more helpful articles at Viartisan.

At its core, this report is a tribute to the resilience of designers worldwide—those who keep questioning, adapting, and creating with intention.
Written by: Fabricio Teixeira & Caio Braga
Illustrated by: Fabio Benê
Edited by: Emily Curtin
Narrated by: Laura Vandiver
Published by: The UX Collective (ISSN: 2766–5267)

Explore the full report here: The State of UX in 2024