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?
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I think the economy is pushing companies toward smaller choices, a trend I've observed before in my 20+ year career. Give it time. Continue working for the user, and things will change again.
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.