Why I can’t convince your execs to invest in UX

And neither can you.

Every few weeks, a phone call or email comes out of the blue, asking me to perform magic. The inquirer always wants the same thing: to stand up in front of a room filled with their executives, delighting them with a presentation that will make them rise to their feet cheering. This audience will then burst out of the room, make demands of their subordinates and invest everything in a whole-scale, no-holds-barred user experience effort that will revolutionize the company, the products, and the world.

OK, maybe I’m exaggerating a little. But I am quite frequently asked to convince executives to invest in user experience.

And it may surprise you to learn that I refuse the offer every time. As a policy here at UIE, we only take on work we can guarantee results from. I know from experience that I have no chance in hell to convince any executives of anything, so I politely decline the gig.

“But surely, because of all your success, you must know what it takes to convince an executive to invest in UX?” they always ask.

Actually, I don’t. I’ve been pitching our services for 23 years and I’ve never once successfully convinced an executive of anything.