👉 How do I build real career security in a field that keeps reinventing itself and cutting people like me?
UX feels disposable. You don’t have to be.
👋 Happy Saturday, my dear UX friends, Marina here!
Let’s not sugarcoat it today ↴
Design layoffs didn’t stop.
The titles keep changing.
AI is doing wireframes, writing microcopy, and “analyzing” research in seconds.
Stakeholders act like Figma is the strategy.
And every time you try to play catch-up, the rules change again.
So what do you do when the field starts feeling… disposable?
You stop trying to fit in.
And start becoming someone they can’t replace.
Here’s what that actually means:
STEP 1 ↴
Don’t be the person who “knows UX.” Be the person who MAKES UX MATTER to the business.
Can AI design a screen?
Yes.
Can it connect a subtle user behavior to churn risk in the next quarter?
Not yet.
👉 That’s your leverage.
Stop focusing on what you do.
Start focusing on how your work protects revenue, reduces risk, or fuels growth.
And say that out loud.
STEP 2 ↴
Blend in = burn out.
The market doesn’t reward “strong generalists” anymore.
It rewards people who can solve high-value problems that others can’t touch.
If you’re playing it safe….
Masking your point of view, mimicking the trendy frameworks, blending in with the rest of LinkedIn…
you’re quietly erasing the very edge that makes you valuable.
Find it again.
Protect it.
Build from that.
STEP 3 ↴
INFLUENCE is more protective than SKILL.
You can have perfect craft and still be on the next layoff list.
But if people across product, eng, and leadership say:
“We need her in this room.”
That sticks.
So build trust.
Get visible.
Speak in business language.
And stop waiting for someone else to prove your value.
You’re not a disposable designer.
You’re just not communicating like a strategic one (yet.)
You don’t need to chase every trend or learn 20 AI tools.
You DO need to become the kind of THINKER they want to keep around - no matter what tool or title is hot this month.
You're not here to survive the next round.
You're here to design a career that holds (implement 3 steps mentioned above and see what happens ;)
See you next Saturday!
P.S. In the paid series (Secrets to UX Career Success), I’m unpacking real stories and repeatable moves from UXers who’ve built serious career security - without burning out, selling out, or starting over. Join us if you're done playing defense.
A few more ways I can help you ↴
Follow me on LinkedIn for proven UX career strategies.
If you aspire to become a UX mentor, check my book on Amazon.
I agree with what you've shared but I am not sure you have much control over whether you're laid off.