We do not define the experience, the customers do.
If we venture deep into the philosophical recesses of design theory, we might uncover a simple, albeit startling, truth — the term “UX Designer” is a misnomer. It’s akin to claiming to be a “Sunset Designer” or a “Snowfall Artisan.” A user’s experience interacting with a product, just like the perception of a sunset or a snowfall, is personal and subjective. The “user experience” is influenced by an individual’s context, mood, history, culture, and myriad other factors that are well beyond the control of any designer, no matter how skilled.
The term “UX Designer” suggests that one has the power to craft an experience as they see fit. Yet, an experience isn’t something you can mold like clay in your hands, but rather something that arises within the individual person as they interact with the product. The designer is not creating the experience; the user is.
The philosopher John Locke suggested that our minds are tabula rasa, blank slates upon which experiences leave their mark. However, he also noted that every individual’s tabula is different — filled with different backgrounds, memories, thoughts, and emotions. So, each person’s interpretation of the same event — or, in our case, product — can be vastly different. This perspective highlights that a ‘universal user experience’ is practically impossible.
By this logic, as designers, we’re not creating user experiences but influencing them. The impact we have is through the design choices we make — the placement of a button, the color of a logo, and the fluidity of a transition. But these are merely suggestions, nudges in a particular direction. They can steer the user’s experience but can’t define it.
Indeed, it is presumptuous for any designer to claim they can confidently shape a user’s experience. At best, we can anticipate, influence, and attempt to guide. Like the unseen currents beneath the ocean’s surface, we can gently guide the user’s journey, but the journey’s nature — smooth or rough, joyous or frustrating — is ultimately up to the user.
Our job as designers is not to paint by numbers but to set the stage and provide the tools for a meaningful, engaging, and delightful interaction. We’re the invisible puppeteers working behind the scenes to choreograph a performance that will resonate with our audience.
This realization is more than just semantics. It’s a necessary reframing that encourages humility and empathy in design. It’s a call to shift from the title of “UX Designer” to something more accurate like “Product Designer” or “Interaction Architect.” A shift that recognizes that we do not create experiences; we only set the stage for them to unfold. As an industry, this is a call for us to rethink, reset, and redefine our roles and responsibilities. In this way, we can genuinely align our work with the reality of our influence —not control — of the experience.
