UX Doesn’t Have a Seat at the Table — Because There’s No Table
New Influence Models for 2025 UX Teams
We keep fighting for a seat... but what if we’re fighting for the wrong thing?
You’ve heard it before:
“UX needs a seat at the table.”
“Design should be involved earlier.”
“We need buy-in.”
But what if there is no table?
No single room.
No consistent group of decision-makers.
No clean process for shaping strategy.
Just a blur of shifting priorities, surprise Slack messages, backchannel decisions... and people too busy to talk about value until the deadline hits.
This issue is about rethinking how UX actually shows up in orgs today and what to do when the “table” is just a myth.
The Myth of the Decision-Making Table
Why Traditional Influence Strategies Are Failing
How UX Actually Gets Left Out
Summer Just Got Better: Save on Your UXCON25 Ticket
What to Do When the “Table” Doesn’t Exist
New Influence Models for 2025 UX Teams
Resource Corner
The Myth of the Decision-Making Table
Let’s be real: most companies don’t have one big decision room.
There’s no roundtable where Product, Design, and Engineering debate every major call like it's an episode of Succession.
Instead...
Strategy gets shaped in 1:1 convos
Budgets get locked in before anyone “aligns”
Decisions happen upstream, quietly, then trickle down
The idea of getting “a seat at the table” assumes that power is centralized.
But in modern orgs, influence is fragmented.
So if you’re waiting for an invite, you’ll always be late.
Why Traditional Influence Strategies Are Failing
Tactics like these used to work:
“Let’s run a workshop to align.”
“I’ll present the research findings in a deck.”
“We’ll include UX as a phase in the process.”
“Let’s get buy-in with a roadmap review.”
But here’s what often happens now:
The workshop gets skipped - priorities already changed
The deck goes unread - too long, too late
UX is looped in only after build has started
“Buy-in” means someone said “okay”... not that they understand
The problem isn’t the tactics.
It’s the assumption that decisions are waiting for us.
They’re not. They’re already in motion.
How UX Actually Gets Left Out (It’s Subtle)
It’s not always a snub. Sometimes, it’s silence.
You're added to meetings but not invited to speak
Your comments are seen as “nice to have,” not critical
You’re asked for input after the deadline
People assume you’ll just “make it look good” at the end
This is what happens when your value isn’t positioned clearly.
Not just your process... but your impact on risk, revenue, and outcomes.
Because influence isn’t granted.
It’s earned through consistency, clarity, and relationships.
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What to Do When the “Table” Doesn’t Exist
If there’s no table... you build your own system.
Here’s how modern UX leaders are staying relevant and heard:
1. Stakeholder Mapping ≠ Org Chart
Stop assuming your manager’s manager is the decision-maker.
Map who actually controls priorities even informally.
Who does the PM always quote?
Who can kill a project with one question?
Start there.
2. Make Research Interrupt the Default Path
Don’t wait to be asked.
Embed insights early even if it means dropping a Loom in a team chat with a one-pager that says:
“3 things we learned that could save this sprint.”
Show up before it’s “time” to show up.
3. Narrate the Impact, Not the Process
Stop trying to sell methods.
Start showing the cost of not listening.
Instead of:
“We ran usability tests with 8 users.”
Try:
“This flow causes 4 out of 8 users to abandon that’s $400k/year in churn.”
4. Invest in Internal Relationships
Build 1:1 trust before the tension starts.
Share wins. Ask about goals. Become a partner not a last-minute reviewer.
🔄 New Influence Models for 2025 UX Teams
The best UX teams aren’t fighting for seats anymore.
They’re working across networks.
Influence through Slack storytelling
Impact through async visuals
Speed through insights on demand
Credibility through repeatable wins
They don't wait to be invited.
They embed themselves into conversations by showing up with context, clarity, and care.
Because the most powerful UXers today?
They don’t ask for a seat.
They show they already belong.
📚 Resource Corner
Final Thought
The “table” might not exist. But your ability to shape the work does.
You don’t need to be loud. You don’t need to be perfect.
You just need to show up consistently with insight, care, and strategic clarity.
Because the future of UX isn’t about being included.
It’s about being essential.