Getting cross-functional buy-in: What top UX teams do differently
Why UX gets ignored—and how to change that
Here’s a scenario we’ve all lived:
You do the research.
You identify user needs.
You present clear, thoughtful design decisions.
And then—
The final product doesn’t reflect any of it.
Welcome to the misalignment gap—where UX input gets lost between functions, timelines, and priorities.
It’s not always intentional. Product teams are sprinting. Engineers are shipping. Marketing is launching. But when UX can’t influence those moving parts, we go from being strategic partners to post-decision decorators.
So how do top-performing UX teams close that gap?
Why UX Insights Get Lost (And How to Fix It)
3 Practical Strategies Top UX Teams Use to Influence Decisions
Workshop Spotlight: UXCon25—Grow Your UX Impact With Real Skills
Resource Corner: Must-Reads on Stakeholder Alignment & UX Influence
Why UX Insights Get Lost (And How to Fix It)
Your research reports are beautiful—but useless if they don't influence actual outcomes. Misalignment often happens because:
Stakeholders don’t fully grasp the value of UX findings.
UX is brought in too late to shape decisions.
UX insights aren’t translated into business language.
So, what can you do about it?
🛠️ 3 Practical Strategies Top UX Teams Use
🤝 1. They Stop “Educating” and Start Translating
Many UXers are told to “educate stakeholders” on design. But education only goes so far if we’re speaking different languages. Great teams know how to translate UX insights into product and business priorities.
Instead of:
“Users were confused by the IA structure.”
Try:
“This confusion is leading to drop-off on key revenue-driving features.”
Tips:
Frame your insights in terms of user risk and business risk
Include metrics or projections if you can: even directional estimates help
Use internal language your stakeholders already use (e.g., “activation,” “retention”)
📍 2. They Align Early, Not Just Present Late
One of the biggest causes of disconnect is timing. Many UXers are looped in after decisions have been made—or only brought in to present findings or designs.
Top teams flip this: they involve themselves at the point of problem-framing.
How?
Attend backlog grooming and early product planning meetings
Offer to help scope research or opportunity spaces early on
Create shared canvases: experience maps, opportunity trees, assumption boards
Being “in the room” early lets you shape the problem—not just respond to it.
📊 3. They Track Impact Beyond the Research Report
It’s not enough to deliver insights. You need to show how those insights moved something—the roadmap, the product, the outcome.
We’re seeing more UX teams using insight-to-impact frameworks to track how research and design contributed to key decisions.
Simple format:
Insight
Decision it informed
Outcome it affected (qualitative or quantitative)
You don’t need perfect numbers—just a way to show forward motion.
Today, being a skilled researcher or designer isn’t enough. You need to be a strategic translator, a trusted collaborator, and a visible driver of decisions.
But the question remains:
How do we actually get there?
That’s exactly what we’ll be unpacking at UXCon25.
This year’s conversation is focused on the skills that make UX truly impactful inside organizations—skills like stakeholder alignment, business storytelling, research visibility, and product influence.
We’re not just talking about good design—we’re talking about getting the right work prioritized, championed, and shipped.
Whether you're trying to earn more buy-in, elevate your role, or navigate high-stakes collaboration, UXCon25 is where these challenges meet real, practical solutions.
🎟️ And our 2-ticket bundle is still open. Bring your PM, your lead, or that one teammate who’s always advocating beside you.
Get the 2-ticket bundle—grow together, not alone.
📚 Resource Corner: Essential Reads for UX Influence
💡 Final Thought: The UX field is changing. Influence is the new deliverable.
Influence isn’t something you ask for—it’s something you build.
By translating your work, aligning early, and tracking what changes because of UX, you go from “involved” to indispensable.
Really great practical tips, and get at a core discussion happening in the field right now!
Though, can't help but feel that the game is changing, and UX needs to be responsive to these changes. Tech is aligning itself more and more closely with neoliberalism and global political trends. With platforms like TikTok and Temu seizing markets and influencing downstream trends (dependent upon pretty dark practices), it's no longer enough to just continue business as usual. There is a trend away from centering the user; we might need a new strategy for "selling" UX because it doesn't seem to be "If the user is happy, the money will follow."