The prevailing mood amongst product designers right now is - Annoyed - Bored - Considering leaving the profession The current mood is putting off a lot of young designers from entering the industry and pushing existing designers out. What do we do?

Can you elaborate on what “smaller choices” means?

An example might be a reduction in animation and other delightful design elements, resulting in a simpler, more functional user experience. The emphasis shifts from aesthetics and user delight to delivering core business value.

Got it ok yeah, delivering the basics. Is that an economy thing or a “we don’t believe in design” thing from where you’re sitting?

In my opinion, it's the economy. Two wars are at risk of escalation while the world continues to recover from COVID. AI is causing major industry shifts. This isn't about us, but designers, like many others, are impacted. Take a breath, and continue doing the best work you can.