You’ve done security - now do experience

Well, your product experience needs the same attention. You need someone there from the start who considers the risks others may ignore; the clunky flows, the wasted clicks, the logic that doesn’t quite add up. For us, that role is an experience architect. Not just shipping software that works, but making sure it’s something people actually want and also enjoy using.

What good is a secure product if your users can’t stand using it?

The truth is your customers don’t care what stack you chose, or how clever the engineering looks under the hood. They care that it works, that it’s clear and that it delivers. This isn’t about making things pretty. It’s about making them clear. In regulated industries like fintech or enterprise software, clarity is critical. A confusing interface isn’t just annoying it’s also a risk. When users hesitate, make errors, or don’t trust what they see, the cost is real. Experience design, done right, reduces that friction and drives confidence where it matters most. And if the experience falls short, the stack doesn’t matter.

The illusion of progress

AI tools, templates, and design systems are making it easier than ever to spin up something that looks finished.

But just like AI “vibe coding,” those early wins are usually an illusion of progress. Under the surface, structure is missing, patterns are inconsistent and flows are clumsy. What looks 80% done is really just the start.

“You can vibe your way to a demo. You cannot vibe your way to production.” - Addy Osmani

That’s the trap. I could (and do) call myself an engineer after a few lucky prompts which is obviously nonsense. In the same way, these tools can spit out visuals that look considered, but that’s a world away from a crafted experience that actually holds together under pressure. Engineers are excellent at frameworks and architecture, but when design decisions land on their desk by default, it slips into design-by-committee. Not because they want to, but because no one is given remit to hold the bigger experience picture. The result is a patchwork of modules and features. Functional, maybe, but rarely valuable or memorable.

That gap is exactly why the difference between vanity and value matters.

Value, not vanity

This is where that difference shows. Vanity looks good in a slide deck but Value keeps customers. As Tara Simpson put it in his recent article, bad engineering can stay hidden for a while, but bad design is obvious instantly.

And this is where Osmani’s framing also hits home. Vibe coding is fine for exploration, but AI-assisted engineering needs structure - specs, reviews, security, ownership. Otherwise, you’re just scaling chaos faster.

“Speed wins the meeting. Structure wins the market.”

The real work is making sure speed, scale and usability balance in a way that stands up under pressure. AI and templates are useful accelerators, but without intent they just scale confusion. Direction is what turns speed into outcomes – and that’s exactly what a fully engaged experience architect brings.

The shift leaders need to make

We all understand security can’t be bolted on at the end of a project. It needs to be part of the DNA of every serious product team. Experience design deserves the same treatment.

Stop thinking of it as polish and start treating it as direction. Bring it in from day one and you cut rework, reduce risk and avoid wasting money on features nobody uses. More importantly, you build trust. Not that fluffy trust; the measurable kind. The kind that shows up in adoption, retention and ultimately ROI.

So, you wouldn’t ship without Security. Stop shipping without Experience.

Key takeaways for leaders

• Make experience part of the build from the start. It saves money, reduces rework, and cuts wasted effort.

• Customers don’t care about your stack. They care that it works and delivers what they came for.

• AI and templates are accelerators, not brains. Without intent, they just scale confusion.

• Bad experience is obvious. Customers feel it instantly and adoption drops.

• Direction beats decoration. Treat experience like security: essential, not optional.

• Trust isn’t fluffy. It shows up in adoption, retention and ultimately ROI.