Test in Peace: Is UX Dying—Or Evolving?

The gravestone has been ready for years, with claims of UX’s demise echoing all along. But now, UX truly stands at a crossroads.

The tech industry is struggling: job postings are down 25% compared to pre-pandemic levels, UX budgets are being slashed, and widespread layoffs are haunting our community.

Some have dismissed past claims of UX’s decline, but economic challenges, combined with the rise of AI, are ushering in a new era. It’s a time to adapt to survive—but also a chance to bring UX back to its original purpose.

Above all, this is not a time for despair; it’s a time for hope.

The Spirit of UX

At its heart, UX has always been about people—their frustrations, their moments of joy, and how they experience technology. And here’s the truth: users will always have an experience, whether or not anyone cares about UX.

That’s why we described it like this in our first book, How User Experience Actually Works in Practice:

“UX is not another separate part (like design, development, marketing, sales, and so on) but rather the glue that holds the individual parts together to form a meaningful whole. A meaningful whole that is as simple, clear, and understandable as possible to actually improve people’s lives.”

This is the idealism that started UX: the belief that we can make people’s lives better by improving the experience they have with our products.

But over time, this idealism got lost. UX became a machine. Methods multiplied, tools became bloated, and UX experts—once meant to bridge the gap between creators and users—turned into gatekeepers, holding the keys to complex processes others couldn’t navigate.

A Change Is Coming

As resources shrink, small but meaningful shifts are beginning to take shape.

While many UX practitioners cling to the old ways, hoping for bigger budgets to return, some are already adapting. Instead of handling every UX task themselves, they’re uncovering smarter, more efficient ways to gather insights.

One notable strategy we’re seeing among Userbrain customers is UX leaders empowering their teams to run user tests independently.

What’s surprising is that these aren’t teams of UX experts. They’re developers, designers, marketers, and project managers—many conducting user tests for the first time. And while it was once unthinkable to run user tests without a UX specialist, the combination of tighter resources and advancements in AI has changed the game forever.

Unmoderated Testing Is Enough

At the core of this development is a simple realization: unmoderated user testing often provides all the key insights you need.

“Unmoderated” means no live facilitator. Participants complete tasks on their own, at their own pace, using an online testing platform. It’s fast, accessible, and puts power back in the hands of the creators.

Here’s why it works:

1. Direct observation: You watch people use your product, see where they struggle or succeed, and hear their thoughts.
2. Immediate buy-in: When teams run their own tests, no one needs convincing—they found the issues, and they can fix them.

Some experts argue that unmoderated testing is overly simple and lacks the depth of more complex methods. And yes, it can’t replace every method, just as a first-aid kit can’t replace a hospital. But that’s not the point. Unmoderated testing is the easiest way to involve real users—no scheduling, no meetings, no specialists required. That can make some professionals uneasy, but it’s also liberating.

Test in Peace

The change we’re seeing isn’t about cutting out UX professionals. It’s about freeing them from being bottlenecks, so they can focus on more strategic challenges and in-depth research, while everyone else can gather simple insights independently.

Yes, some say you need an expert to conduct user testing. But with tools like Userbrain, anyone can create effective user tests in seconds, find participants, and surface insights automatically—all while focusing on what matters most: creating great user experiences.

For complex scenarios, like certain enterprise software workflows, moderated testing remains essential. But for most products, unmoderated testing is the 80/20 solution: uncovering 80% of the insights with just 20% of the effort—especially when done regularly and by the people building the product.

This is what “Test in Peace” really means: UX without the noise, interruptions, meetings, or bottlenecks. It’s not happening in the boardrooms; it’s happening quietly when creators sit down, run a test, and make their product better.

The Future of UX

The grave may be prepared, but UX won’t die as long as people care about it.

As technology advances and AI becomes embedded in every aspect of our lives, the need for UX is only growing. This isn’t a time for UX to die; it’s a time to evolve. A time to open a new chapter—where UX moves beyond the realm of experts and becomes a shared activity, empowering everyone to create better user experiences.

And this is exactly why we're kicking off a new webinar series: The Joy of User Testing. In the first episode, you’ll discover how to run user tests with AI—while staying in control. No complex setups, no overwhelming processes—just a smarter, faster way to get real insights. Join us for the first episode and see how AI can make testing faster, easier, and still 100% in your control.