From Products to Journeys: The UX-CX Shift You Need to Know
Why UX and CX Merging Is Reshaping How We Design
Organizations are shifting their focus.
No longer content with just designing great products, they’re zooming out—merging User Experience (UX) and Customer Experience (CX) into a single function. The result? A journey-centric approach that prioritizes how users and customers experience your brand across every touchpoint.
This evolution has implications for how we design, research, and strategize. Today, we’re diving into the UX-CX merge and why it matters for your career.
Today’s Highlights
Key Insight: UX and CX Merge: The Shift from Products to Journeys
Market Insights: How Companies Are Adopting Journey-Centric Models
Opportunities for Business Growth
The Rise of Journey-Centric Experience Practices
Practical Tips: Adapting Your UX Skills for CX Integration
Community Spotlight: How Can UXers and CX Teams Work Better Together?
UX Workshop: Crafting Engaging Case Studies That Tell a Story
Job Board: Roles in UX-CX Integration
Resource Corner: Books, Tools, and Template
Feature Spotlight: Join Us at UXCon25
Tool of the Week: Smaply – Journey Mapping Made Simple
Key Insight: UX and CX Merge—What’s Changing?
The line between UX and CX is blurring. Organizations are recognizing that siloed teams can’t deliver seamless experiences. By merging UX and CX, companies are moving toward a journey-centric model that focuses on:
Understanding the end-to-end customer journey.
Aligning design, research, and service touchpoints under one unified vision.
Breaking down silos between digital (UX) and physical (CX) experiences.
Why this matters: For designers and researchers, this means thinking beyond screens. You’re not just designing for a product—you’re designing for every moment a customer interacts with the brand.
Market Insights: How Companies Are Adopting Journey-Centric Models
Unified UX and CX Functions Enhance Customer Loyalty
Over 70% of CX leaders struggle to design projects that foster loyalty. Merging UX and CX creates unified strategies that address customer needs holistically. (gartner.com)
Journey-Centric Approaches Drive Value Creation
McKinsey highlights that improving consistency in delivering flawless customer journeys is one of the best ways to create value. For example, a seamless onboarding journey can significantly enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. (mckinsey.com)
Holistic Customer Experience Strategies Yield Higher Satisfaction
According to Gartner, companies that connect customer satisfaction with business results are 29% more likely to report CX budget increases. A holistic approach to CX design, focusing on customer-centric channel strategies, is essential for achieving this alignment. (gartner.com)
Opportunities for Business Growth
Journey-centric design opens up big opportunities for organizations to:
Understand what drives user behavior to optimize outcomes.
Align UX and CX efforts to create cohesive strategies.
Build stronger customer loyalty with smoother, more meaningful experiences.
Optimize resources to improve ROI.
Strengthen brand trust by delivering seamless, unified journeys.
The potential is clear—businesses that embrace this shift are set to thrive.
The Rise of Journey-Centric Experience Practices
Journey-centric practices mean looking at the bigger picture, not just individual touchpoints. It’s about understanding the full path users take—from their first spark of interest to achieving their goal.
Why does this matter? Because real experiences are messy and emotional, not linear. By focusing on the journey, UX and CX teams can connect the dots, ensuring every interaction feels seamless and meaningful.
This shared vision is redefining how we design, research, and strategize. It’s not just collaboration—it’s a whole new way of thinking.
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Practical Tips: Adapting Your UX Skills for CX Integration
As UX and CX merge, here’s how you can stay ahead:
Learn Journey Mapping: Familiarize yourself with tools like Smaply and Miro to visualize customer journeys.
Think Omnichannel: Expand your design perspective beyond apps and websites to include email, call centers, and in-store experiences.
Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Build strong relationships with marketing, operations, and customer service teams to understand the bigger picture.
This week’s question: How Can UXers and CX Teams Work Better Together?
This Week’s Answer
"Focus on shared goals rather than team-specific KPIs."
For UX and CX teams to truly work better together, it starts with understanding that they’re two sides of the same coin—both focused on creating exceptional experiences, just from slightly different angles. Break down the silos. Share insights like user research and customer feedback so everyone’s speaking the same language. Bring the teams into the same room, literally or figuratively, and let collaboration flow—brainstorming sessions, journey mapping, co-creating solutions.
Have a burning UX question? Share it HERE!, and we might answer it in our next issue.
Upcoming workshop:
Let’s build case studies that open doors.
Your next opportunity could hinge on how well you present your work. This workshop will guide you in crafting case studies that clearly showcase your process, decisions, and impact. Walk away with practical tools to tell your story and highlight your value with confidence.
Senior UI/UX Designer - FINTECH
Affina Search / England, United Kingdom (Hybrid) / £80K/yr - £90K/yr
Consulting Point / England, United Kingdom (Hybrid) / £35K/yr - £60K/yr
Jobot / San Francisco, CA (On-site) / $180K/yr - $250K/yr
Vircho / Asheville, NC (Remote) / $95K/yr - $120K/yr
RPStaffing / Alexandria, VA (Hybrid) / $25/hr
Senior Product UI/UX Designer – Contract (3 Months)
Dreamwell AI / Toronto, ON (Remote)/ Salary *Not stated*
Resource Corner: Books, Tools, and Insights on Journey Design
Book: Outside In by Harley Manning and Kerry Bodine – A must-read on customer-centric design.
Template: To kickstart your UX journey mapping process, here's a template for you:
Article: The Connection Between UX and CX
Feature Spotlight: Join Us at UXCon25
Join us at UXCon25, where the brightest minds in UX come together to share insights, learn, and connect. Early bird tickets are now available, offering you the chance to be part of this transformative experience. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to elevate your skills and network with industry leaders.
Tool of the Week: Smaply – Journey Mapping Made Simple
Here’s what Smaply can do for you:
Create visually compelling journey maps in minutes.
Analyze customer touchpoints and pain points.
Collaborate with teams to co-create solutions.
Final Note | Designing for Journeys, Not Just Screens
As UX and CX merge, it’s time to think bigger. Your role isn’t just about designing a great product—it’s about shaping seamless journeys that delight customers from start to finish.
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