We are obsessed with proving the ROI of UX. But what if the problem isn't the metrics, but the seat at the table?

I've been reflecting on a cycle many of us in design leadership face — the constant pressure to "prove" our ROI.

How I see it: the problem isn't our metrics. It's our proximity to the decision. To move from execution to strategy, we have to bridge the influence gap.

The Justification Stage — When design is invited in only after the roadmap is locked, ROI becomes performance theatre. Even with great research, we are just justifying decisions already made. It's immature to track value when you aren't solving problems, only validating them.

The Evidence Stage — Value starts to show when design is used to ground the business in reality. This is where we avoid months of wasted engineering time on features no one needs. Here, ROI is measured in waste avoided.

The Partnership Stage — This is the highest level of influence. We aren't just "informed" of the roadmap; we help build it alongside product and business leadership. When system-level thinking informs strategy from the start, ROI stops being a defensive question — it becomes a natural outcome of better decisions.

Design leaders cannot prove the ROI of a function that isn't yet allowed to function. The work is not to defend design with metrics, but to lead it toward influence earned through evidence, systems thinking, business fluency, trust, and proximity to decisions.

Over the past 24 hours, I've been experimenting with ChatGPT 4o's image capabilities and it's been mind-boggling. We've clearly entered a new era where execution is no longer the differentiator.

I've been creating minimal illustrations for years as a hobby. I used to love the craft of execution, translating an idea into form, and even more, the joy of sharing it with the design community. But now, with the right prompt, anyone can get to 90% in seconds. What once felt like creative expression might soon feel like just more noise. I imagine this is how live portrait artists must have felt when the camera arrived.

This shift has made me pause and reflect not just on my own creative process, but on what this means more broadly for our industry, our roles, and how we work. Two key patterns are starting to emerge:

From execution to ideation — For years, execution was king. But in this AI-powered world, the script has flipped. The real edge now lies in original ideas, creative direction, and the ability to see what others don't.

From skillset to mindset — The cost of trying has collapsed. As a result, the way we build teams is changing. It's less about technical mastery, and more about fresh thinking, emotional intelligence, and knowing when to break the rules. We're not just asking "Can we build this?" but "Is this the right thing to build?"

Since everyone is talking about the future of UX, AI, and all the possibilities, I wanted to share my perspective on how I see it. With my current focus in the B2B SaaS space, I often think about how the role of designers is undergoing a significant transformation.

I believe AI agents will become a major part of SaaS platforms as we evolve (No, I don't think SaaS will die), with designers creating systems where AI agents collaborate with users, empowering them without taking control. The challenge lies in ensuring that users remain in charge while agents assist them in ways that feel natural and intuitive.

As this shift unfolds, designers are also stepping into a new role: measuring user trust, assurance, and the effectiveness of user-agent interactions. By focusing on the human side of agents, designers are uniquely positioned to identify pain points, ensuring that agent solutions are not only functional but also relatable and trustworthy.

Equally important is the need to give agents personality. Whether it's a chatbot or a voice assistant, these agents must feel authentic and align with the brand's voice. Designers are responsible for ensuring that these interactions are not only effective but also inclusive, equitable, and accessible.

Looking ahead, the future of design in the age of AI centres around creativity, responsibility, and ethics. Designers must balance innovation with compliance, ensuring that AI systems are intuitive, ethical, and transparent.