No New Name Has Replaced “UX”

Summary

In a survey of 604 technology and design professionals, it was found that 'UX' remains the dominant term for describing user-focused work, while alternative labels are fragmented and rarely used.

Why it matters

'UX' remains dominant despite sector changes such as AI-assisted research democratization and expanding roles. This highlights the difficulty of rebranding an increasingly broad field. While the term's continuity reinforces its entrenched identity, it raises questions about how practitioners communicate value in a shifting market.

Highlights

• "UX" appeared in 47.8% of responses, making it the most common label.
• Alternative terms such as 'Experience design' and 'human-centered design' were mentioned in less than 1% of responses.
• The study used an indirect survey question to capture spontaneous terminology; however, it noted limitations in geographic representation and potential bias toward participants exposed to NN/G.

Critical take

NN/G's reliance on its Practitioner Panel and social channels could skew results toward UX enthusiasts, risking an overestimation of the term's prevalence and overlooking emerging subfields that use different terminology.