Why fast UX often fails (and what to do instead)

20 May

In my experience, speed is often championed above all else—ship fast, test fast, fix fast. But I’ve noticed a trend: in the rush to launch, we skip the very steps that make products usable.

The result? Interfaces feel clunky, journeys don’t flow, and innovations confuse rather than convert.

The irony is, poor UX slows you down in the long run. It increases support load, bloats backlogs with rework, and alienates users.

Here’s what I’ve found works better in real teams, under real pressure:

🔹 Prioritise UX debt in sprint planning. Small tweaks to navigation, feedback, or accessibility often have outsized impact. Don’t save them for ‘someday’.

🔹 Test earlier than feels comfortable. A prototype with 5 users will teach you more than a month of assumptions.

🔹 Design for decision-making. Every button, label and layout is part of your product’s conversation with the user. If that conversation is confusing, your product’s not working.

In truth, the most effective design isn’t rushed or bloated. It’s intentional and that doesn’t mean slower—it means smarter.

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