More skills won’t fix it

Recently, I read this Microsoft's blog giving an inspiring picture of content designers leading in AI: guiding LLMs, shaping trust, and redefining design.

If CDs are expected to navigate complex systems, contribute to probabilistic UX, and shape AI-driven trust frameworks, orgs need to prep us better. A lot of CDs and UXWs, including me, still think narrowly about content.

We all talk about getting a “seat at the table” but how many of us can really have meaningful convos about biz goals, technical implementation, and aligning teams? How many of us have initiated specs from scratch, written PRDs, measured outcomes (good or bad), and moved forward with real learnings? These are initiation skills that truly shift our roles from execution to strategy.

Tbf, a lot of us haven’t been given the chance to think this way. It’s not that we can’t, it’s just that we haven’t been trained or supported to do it.

I agree CDs do far more than “just words.” We work with layout, hierarchy, taxonomy, and more. But as we talk about adding even more skills like graphic design and more, we are just chasing the latest trends without addressing the core problem. These are all execution skills, not initiation skills.

A year ago, it was all about prompt engineering. Next year, it’ll be something else. And in a few years, we’ll prob have this same convo again because we still won’t have fixed the core issue, i.e., we’re not being trained or prepared to think strategically about product and biz impact. We’re working and will keep working on others’ initiations and thoughts, not shaping them ourselves.

I’ve had the chance to initiate a few specs (~5) in the last 6 months. I thought it’d be easy. I was arrogant, thinking I could design, code, and understand dev limitations + user needs. But I struggled. I kept thinking about executing ideas but didn’t have the skills to find overarching patterns in user behavior from Amplitude or Looker, predict market needs, understand changing biz needs or leadership goals, or pick the right spec to make the biggest impact.

Even when I figured out what was needed, convincing others and getting them onboard was a whole other thing. I had to find the right metrics, build the story, and justify why this change mattered. Changing core behavior is hard. This taught me we need to focus on initiation skills before even trying to shape the future of UXW.

If we want to evolve, we need to fix the foundation first. Orgs need to help us grow not just by adding new tools to our skill set, but by giving us the space to initiate, strategize, and lead. If we don’t, we’ll keep having the same convo again and again.

//rant complete; brainDump.end();