Don’t Make Me Think 3.0: What Endures and What Evolves in UX
Summary
Two of the most influential figures in UX, Steve Krug and Lou Rosenfeld, sit down to reflect on the thinking that built the field and what must change as we move forward. In a world shaped by AI, wider access to tools, and growing expectations of UX research beyond design delivery, they will explore how core principles are being stretched, challenged, and reinterpreted. The conversation will also focus on what does not evolve—the values, practices, and instincts that remain essential and universal. Grounded in experience across multiple cycles of growth and contraction, this conversation will provide you with perspective, continuity, and reassurance for a field in motion.
Key Insights
-
•
Steve Krug has been secretly working on Don't Make Me Think 4.0 for 5-6 years, planning release soon.
-
•
AI will serve as power steering in UX work, speeding tasks but not fully replacing human judgment.
-
•
Simulated users and AI-generated personas are ineffective substitutes for watching real user interactions.
-
•
UX professionals must maintain ethical standards and advocate for users amid economic and technological pressure.
-
•
There is uncertainty about the future job market and roles in UX and research due to AI and automation.
-
•
Deep understanding of AI—its strengths and limitations—is crucial for future-proofing UX careers.
-
•
Ethical tension exists between AI’s economic drivers and the need for responsible, user-centered design.
-
•
The UX minor at University of Michigan shows rapid growth, indicating domain knowledge blending with UX is emerging.
-
•
Current AI hype overestimates AGI capabilities; AGI is not expected in the foreseeable future.
-
•
UX work will shift more toward education and coaching as AI democratizes some labor but can't replace empathy.
Notable Quotes
"The first rule of book update club is you never talk about book update club."
"Unlike social media, which I think should not exist, AI should exist but with caution."
"I feel like we are the user advocates. Our job is to be on the side of the angels and the users."
"It’s not self-driving cars, it’s power steering."
"Simulated users is pure enshittification. It’s not worth the paper it’s printed on."
"There’s no reasonable prediction that AGI will exist in our lifetimes."
"You can do stuff faster, but that doesn’t mean it’s gonna do the job as well."
"Most of our job is education — teaching people what AI is good for and what it’s not."
"Things are gonna get a lot worse before they get worse."
"Empathy is key to wanting to do this job — wanting users to do well."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Journeys Spark drove a 50% CTR increase by speeding up persona-driven content optimization with AI before human validation."
Gillian Salerno-Rebic Mark MicheliFrom Insight to Impact: How JourneySpark Used WEVO Pulse + Pro to Drive a 50% Lift in Ad Engagement
June 11, 2025
"Root cause analysis helps identify not just what is happening, but why it's happening, especially when more people have access to data."
Jen Cardello Dr. Shadi Janansefat Alex WrightCurating insight: Strategies for integrating knowledge across research functions
March 11, 2025
"Legacy interconnected systems mean improving one area can create problems in another, and we don't always know those constraints upfront."
Alexandra SchmidtEnterprise UX Playbook
December 1, 2022
"We can design the experience of working with us just like we design for end users."
Christian Crumlish Wendy Johansson Rich Mironov Aditi Ruiz Adam ThomasAfternoon Insights Panel
December 6, 2022
"You can't spell the word air without saying ai, it requires those letters."
Uday Gajendar Louis RosenfeldDay 1 Welcome
June 4, 2024
"Think about who decides what, when, where, by which criteria and how these decisions connect—this helps influence decision making."
Silke Bochat5 Antifragile Strategies for a DesignOps 2.0
September 23, 2024
"The trusted partnership between the chief of staff and the executive is critically important."
Isaac HeyveldExpand DesignOps Leadership as a Chief of Staff
September 8, 2022
"I never thought I'd say this, but can someone please for love of God, just make a RACI so we can align on who's responsible for things."
John CutlerThe Alignment Trap
November 29, 2023
"Outdated content will erode trust and make folks question whether other information is worth their time."
Gabrielle VerderberDocumentation Your Team Will Actually Use
October 3, 2023