In this talk I want to draw attention to the relationship between the well-known technical debt and a not so widely used term: UX Debt. UX Debt describes the scenario where software development decisions prioritize technical solutions or project deadlines over the user experience (UX). While managing tech debt is an established aspect of many agile software projects, less attention has been paid to UX Debt, at least by software developers.

The discussion leads us through how technical debt, characterized by shortcuts taken for immediate gain, can inherently lead to UX Debt, adversely impacting user interaction and satisfaction with a product. In contrast, software completely free of technical debt can still be burdened with UX Debt. This occurs when there’s a misalignment between the product’s functionality and the users’ actual workflows or expectations, illustrating that technical perfection doesn’t necessarily equate to optimal UX.

In a large industry project case study, I observed different categories of UX Debt, which were validated in user surveys among professional software developers. We will discuss the different UX Debt classes and put them in relation to classical Tech Debt.

Further, strategies for identifying UX Debt within projects will be shared. This involves extending the assessment beyond traditional technical metrics to understand how well a product delivers on its UX promises. The inclusion of tools and methodologies for measuring UX Debt, such as user surveys and usability tests, will equip attendees with practical approaches to uncover and address UX challenges.

With this talk I want to build awareness of UX Debt in software systems and how it is influenced or not influenced by Tech Debt. Recognizing and managing UX Debt is presented as a vital step toward creating more engaging, efficient, and user-friendly products. This presentation seeks to illuminate the often-overlooked costs of neglecting UX and proposes a roadmap for more effectively integrating user experience considerations into the software development lifecycle.