UX Debt: The Silent Killer of Good Products
Hey, it’s Aaron.
This week, I want to talk about something you can’t see on a roadmap or a sprint board — but it’s everywhere: UX debt.
Not tech debt. UX debt.
The pile of band-aid decisions, clunky workarounds, unclear labels, inconsistent patterns, skipped research, and duct-taped flows that add up over time.
We justify them in the moment:
“We’ll fix that in Phase 2.”
“This just needs to work for launch.”
“Users will figure it out.”
But guess what? Phase 2 rarely comes.
And by the time we notice the debt, users are already bouncing or support tickets are stacking up.
What UX Debt Actually Looks Like
- A signup flow that doesn’t match the rest of the product
- Five different button styles for “Submit”
- Microcopy that contradicts itself
- No alt text, no hierarchy, no empathy
- A redesign on top of a redesign on top of a redesign
Sound familiar?
UX debt grows quietly — but it erodes trust, creates friction, and makes even the best products feel disjointed.
What To Do About It
- Start a UX Debt Log
- You track bugs. Why not track UX messes? Keep a living doc or Notion board with screenshots, what’s broken, and impact.
- Audit with Empathy
- Revisit user journeys with fresh eyes. Where are people getting stuck? What feels inconsistent? Where do users drop off?
- Get Leadership on Board
- Frame UX debt in business terms: lost conversions, more support tickets, slower onboarding, higher churn.
Links Worth a Click
“UX Debt: How to Identify, Prioritize, and Resolve” – Nielsen Norman Group
“Measuring UX Debt” – UX Collective
Airtable UX Debt Tracker Template
Dark Patterns or Just Debt? – DarkPatterns.org
Quote of the Week
“UX debt is like rust. You don’t notice it until something breaks.”
— Probably Me, During a Design Review
Your Turn
What kind of UX debt are you dealing with? Have you ever fought to clean it up — or been the one who had to ship it anyway?
Hit reply. Let’s ramble.
See you next week,
— Aaron