#115 Future Skills Beyond UX – The Key to Thriving in an Uncertain World
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Welcome to the future of UX, the podcast where we explore the next big shifts in user experience, design and technology. My name is Patricia Reiners and I'm your host for this podcast. The way we interact with technologies is evolving faster than ever. AI, immersive experiences, also ethical design and the future of work are reshaping our whole industry.

But what does this mean for UX designers, for product teams and for innovators? Each episode we break down emerging trends, future skills and groundbreaking ideas that will shape UX in the years ahead. Whether you're a designer, strategist or maybe just curious about the future of human-centered design, this is the right place for you. I would say, let's dive into what's next in UX and beyond. Imagine this: It's 2030.

The workplace looks nothing like it does today. 85% of the jobs that will exist then haven't even been invented yet. So some of today's most in-demand careers may be completely transformed or be even obsolete.

Technology is advancing faster than we can adapt and AI is already automating many tasks we thought required human intelligence. So what really matters in the future of the job market? The answer isn't just hard skills like coding or design. Those can be learned, those can be updated or even be replaced by AI. Instead, what will truly set you apart are the human skills.

the ones machines can't replicate. Critical thinking, the ability to navigate complexity and misinformation. Emotional intelligence, understanding and managing emotions in a world driven by automation and by AI. Communication, so explaining complex ideas clearly and persuasively.

cultural intelligence, thriving in diverse global teams. Today we are breaking down these future-proof skills, why they matter, how they impact our work and most importantly, how you can start developing them now. Let's get started with the first skill which is critical thinking, the superpower against misinformation. Imagine you're scrolling through your newsfeed. A new headline screams

A study finds coffee causes cancer. And you click and you skim through. But there's also another article from a different source that claims coffee extends your lifespan. Which one is true? And the answer is use critical thinking.

Critical thinking is a buzzword. I hear it all the time everywhere, but I think it's sometimes a little bit difficult to understand what it actually means. So critical thinking is the ability to analyze information objectively, questions the assumptions, and then make well-informed decisions.

It's about not accepting things as at face value, especially in an era where misinformation spreads faster than the facts. In a world with AI-generated content and a way with AI hallucinations, with deepfakes, this is super important. So why does it matter? AI can process data, but it can't think critically. This is our job.

And companies need these strategic thinkers who can make sense of the uncertainty. Fake news, biased algorithms and misinformation, they are everywhere. And without critical thinking, we become easy to manipulate. So the big question: How can we develop it? First of all, question everything. Who wrote this? What's their agenda? What's their goal by sharing this information? What evidence supports this? And then,

Don't think in black and white, but think in shades of grey. Not everything is black and white. Train yourself to hold conflicting ideas at the same time. Sometimes it's very difficult, we already think that this is the truth, this is the important thing, but try to question your belief. And debate yourself. Before forming an opinion, argue against it. See where your reasoning falls apart.

A wonderful book that I can't recommend enough is called Think Again by Adam Grant. I read this, I think, three, four years ago and it still sticks with me. It's basically about

Think again about your beliefs and how to deal with people who are not willing to thinking again, but who are having their opinion, something, and you can't really argue with them. It gives you a lot of useful tips to help to evaluate or to support your own critical thinking, but also how to deal with people who are having some challenges with it.

And I really think the future belongs to those who don't just accept information, but who challenge it. Number two is emotional intelligence or EQ. The skill AI can't replace will never replace. So a company is hiring for a leadership position. Two candidates are equally qualified. One has higher technical expertise, but the other has higher emotional intelligence.

They handle pressure well, inspire their teams and can navigate office politics gracefully. Who do you think gets the job? In most cases, it's the second candidate. So the one with higher emotional intelligence. Maybe one step back, what is emotional intelligence? EQ is the ability to categorize, understand and manage emotions, both in yourself and in others. Why does that matter?

AI can automate tasks, but it can't replace human connections. High EQ leaders build stronger teams and cultures. Jobs are increasingly collaborative. You will work with people from different backgrounds, different stress levels and expectations. So how do you develop or how do you improve your emotional intelligence?

First of all, active listening. And this is what you can practice every day. Don't just wait for your turn to speak, but truly understand what others mean and truly listen. Truly see what they would like to get across, look at their body language and listen. Number two is self-awareness.

Notice your emotional reactions. Ask, why am I feeling this way? Why is this triggering me? Why am I sad? Why am I getting angry? Why is this hurting me so much? Why does this make me happy? And the next one would be an empathy exercise. Imagine how someone with a totally different background experiences a situation. Example, Jeff Bezos once said,

be stubborn on vision but flexible on details and that's EQ in action balancing strong leadership with adaptability to people's emotions and ideas and I think that the future will belong to those who don't just work hard but work well with others and number three is communication the ability to translate complexity into clarity now imagine you've built an amazing product it's technically brilliant

But there's one problem: no one understands it, investors are confused, consumers don't see the value, the press misinterprets it, and you don't really need just a great product, but you need great communication. So what is effective communication? It's not just about talking, it's about ensuring your message is understood. It's about clarity, persuasion, and empathy. Why does it matter?

Remote work and global teams need clear communication, which prevents from misunderstandings. We all know misunderstandings can happen everywhere. And AI-generated content is everywhere. So there is so much going on, so much noise. But the human storytelling will always win. Connecting to people, telling a story, having good conversation, connecting to real people.

We are also seeing that attention spans are shrinking. If you can't explain your idea quickly, people move on. This is something that you can practice basically every day when you present your design decisions. Do a mini elevator pitch. So practice maybe in 10 seconds, 20 seconds. Explain your design quickly. Talk about what was the problem? What is the solution? How did you solve it? Tell the story. A few tips.

Know your audience. Speak in a way that makes sense to them. For example, if you're presenting your design decision to the business department, you need to talk about some KPIs. If you present it to the researcher to come up with research strategies, you need to talk more about what are your goals with the prototype that you built. If you want to talk to the people who are involved in branding and graphic design, you need to talk about colors and different other topics.

Keep it very simple. The best communicators can explain complex ideas in just one sentence. And that's just so difficult. That's actually, I think...

A super interesting sentence. I think it was from Goethe or something who said, I wrote you a long letter because I didn't have time to write a short one. I think this is something that really stucks with me. It's so easy to write a long letter, something that explains it super complex. But to make it short and precise, this is very difficult. Okay, so now let's come to this episode's sponsor, Wix Studio.

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That's wixstudio.com. Another tip to develop it is watch the body language. Over 50% of communication is non-verbal. Yes. Think of Steve Jobs. His presentations weren't filled with jargon. He used very simple, very compelling stories that made technology exciting. And I think in a world full of noise, those who communicate clearly will always stand out.

Last and not least are the cultural or the cultural intelligence. So thriving in a global world. Imagine you're on a business call with a potential client, maybe from Japan, and you confidently pitch your ideas. But something feels off. The client seems a bit hesitant. And later you realize that in the Japanese culture, direct confrontation is often avoided.

and your tone may have seen as aggressive. Compared this to the US, this would have been the perfect way of phrasing it, something where they really need the energy and the passion. So for you to understand cultural differences isn't just polite, it's a competitive advantage. But let's take one step back. How can we explain cultural intelligence?

I would say it's the ability to navigate and to adapt to different cultural norms and behaviors. Why is it so important?

So teams are more diverse than ever. 50 years ago, we basically worked with the people in a company who are living close by. They're all the same. They're all living close by, all the same cultural experiences and everything. And now we're working with people from all around the world. We're working remotely. We can work for a company in China if we want. We can work with teams in Australia.

And they have teams from India, from the US, maybe from South America. So they all grew up differently and have different cultural experiences. Teams are more diverse than ever and companies are expanding internationally. So cultural misunderstanding can be very damaging to relationships. How can we develop it?

First of all, be very curious. Instead of judging, ask questions. Try to understand. This is what I think everyone really appreciates if other people from other countries asking a lot of questions. Then adapt the style. Some cultures value directness. Others prefer indirect communication. So adjust your style a little bit based on the person you're with.

And of course, experience things yourself. So travel, read, work with people from different backgrounds and expose yourself to the world. I think the future belongs to those who can work across cultures, not just within their own culture.

As a little summary: We know that the future is very uncertain. But the one thing that won't change is the need for human skills, which is critical thinking, making sense of the chaos, emotional intelligence, connecting in a digital world, focusing on empathy, understanding people, communication, making ideas stick, telling stories, as well as cultural intelligence like thriving in global teams.

Which skill will you work on next? Let me know in the show notes. I'm super interested to hear more.

And feel free to connect. You can find me on Instagram, on LinkedIn. Feel free to say hi, ask questions. Let me know what's currently on your mind. Maybe any topics that I can focus on in the podcast. If you like this episode, feel free to rate it, give it a five-star review. Follow the podcast so that you don't miss any upcoming episodes. And thank you so much for watching.

yeah for your support for listening and for being an active designer of shaping the future i would say hear you in the future