Being “good at your job” isn’t enough to build influence as a UXer.
I worked with many senior UXers who felt stuck.
Yes, they had:
– Years of experience
– A reputation for delivering great work
– A solid seat on the team
But when it came to decisions that mattered, they were always on the sidelines.
So, what went wrong?
They fell into one (or more) of these traps ⬇️
🪤 : Staying in “delivery mode.”
🪤 : Talking about the “what” instead of the “why.”
🪤 : Waiting for permission to contribute strategically.
Their work was solid…
But it wasn’t opening doors to bigger opportunities or strategic discussions.
Why?
They were unknowingly playing small.
Here’s what we did to change that ↴
Step 1️⃣
Stop being the “UX person” and start being the problem-solver.
The title “UX designer” can box you in if you’re not careful.
Instead of saying, “I improved the checkout flow,” they started saying, “I identified and eliminated checkout friction, simplified the checkout process to make purchases easier, which is expected to cut cart abandonment by at least 15%.”
Small change.
Massive impact.
Step 2️⃣
Show the “why,” not just the “what.”
Designers love to talk about WHAT they did.
Stakeholders care about WHY it matters.
For example ↴
WHAT: “We successfully redesigned the XYZ dashboard.”
WHY: “Customers were overwhelmed by the old XYZ dashboard. Our redesigned version prioritizes key actions, reducing time-on-task by 30%.”
The second statement proves you’re thinking strategically, not just checking boxes.
Step 3️⃣
Speak like a leader, not a contributor.
Most UXers default to talking about deliverables.
Leaders talk about outcomes, risks, and opportunities.
We worked on shifting their language↴
❌ FROM: “I think [this design] solves [this problem]”
✅ TO: “Here’s what happens if we DON’T solve [this problem] – and why [this design] addresses it.”
Instead of waiting to be invited into strategic conversations, they started leading them.
And the result?
They stopped being seen as “just another designer.”
They became the person stakeholders wanted in the room for every big decision.
Building influence isn’t about being louder.
It’s about being smarter with your visibility.
Here’s the formula:
1️⃣ Speak to impact, not just design deliverables.
2️⃣ Frame your work as solving HIGH-VALUE problems.
3️⃣ Start owning the conversations that matter.
So many new designers often miss that getting sign-off on their work often has more to do with how it is presented rather than the quality of the work. Tips like these are so helpful!
It’s easy to get stuck in delivery mode, but truly influencing strategic decisions comes from focusing on outcomes and speaking to impact. Shifting the narrative from “what” to “why” is a game-changer for building influence. Love the actionable steps, It’s definitely a reminder for all UXers to think bigger and lead conversations, not just participate in them.