Your Future is Nebulous—and Why That's Good
Summary
UX has changed before, and it's changing again. Roles are blending, titles are losing their meaning, and the org chart you're working inside of is more of a guess than a fixed structure. In this keynote, Catt Small makes the case that this moment calls for designers to stop waiting for direction and start defining their own value. She'll share how to treat career ladders as an ongoing conversation rather than a fixed path, and how to communicate that value upward so leadership can actually act on it. You'll leave with a clearer sense of what to do when nobody hands you the new playbook.
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