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Duolingo's design identity shift
Duolingo just made a bold move: they scrapped "UX" and rebranded their design function as "Product Experience."
Announced by VP of Product Experience Mig Reyes, this shift reignites an ongoing identity crisis in the design world: what exactly should we call ourselves?
For UX designers caught between user-centered and product-driven priorities, this rebrand is more than semantics—it’s a reflection of where design stands in product-led companies.
What happened at Duolingo?
With 500 million+ downloads, Duolingo is a powerhouse in language learning. Their design team, which was operating under the "User Experience" umbrella now falls under "Product Experience."
Reyes explained on LinkedIn:
"Duolingo is a product-led company. Product drives our business, culture, and priorities. Our function includes Product Designers, Product Writers, and Product Researchers. We gave the umbrella name 'UX' a shot. It never stuck. It didn't feel like us. It felt… antiquated."
In short: they wanted a name that actually fit their role in the company.
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The industry’s mixed reactions
Not surprisingly, the design world had thoughts on this change.
Some saw it as a more accurate reflection of reality:
- "'Product' clarifies and amplifies the focus of the organization better than 'UX' ever could," noted a veteran designer with 20+ years in the industry.
- "In product-led companies, business goals impact everything. Designers must balance these goals with user needs. That’s not 'UX'—that’s product."
- Another designer noted they’ve been everything from UX Designer to Product Associate, with only "25% of my actual work changing" despite the different labels.
Some were not convinced.
Even UX legend Jakob Nielsen pushed back:
"If we backtrack 30 years, I would have agreed with this name. However, now we have the name 'user experience' and have spent those 30 years promoting it. So I don't like changing it."
Critics saw it as a shift away from user advocacy:
- "The user has always mattered. Products serve users, so taking 'user' out of the title doesn’t make sense."
- "This puts the focus on the product, not the person. It’s feature-focused, not people-focused."
This debate exposes a deeper tension in design: business goals vs. user needs. Which one takes priority?
Business priorities vs. user needs
When a company shifts from "User Experience" to "Product Experience," some see it as putting business first. Others argue it’s just an honest acknowledgment of how design functions in product-led companies.
One possible take? Duolingo might already have a strong user focus baked into their DNA. Maybe "user-centered design" is so ingrained in their process that they don’t feel the need to spell it out anymore.
The evolution of design titles (quick history lesson)
Design titles have never been static. They evolve alongside technology, business priorities, and industry trends.
- 1980s-1990s: Human-Computer Interaction, Information Architecture, Interface Design
- 2000s: User Experience Design takes off (thanks, Don Norman!)
- 2010s: Product Design gains traction as companies want designers with broader skills
- Present: Titles continue to morph based on company priorities
Each shift reflects how the role of design adapts to business needs.
So, is Duolingo’s shift an isolated case or part of a larger trend?
They’re not alone.
Companies across the industry have taken different approaches to naming their design functions:
- Airbnb: Experience Design — Emphasizing the full user journey.
- Google: A mix of UX Engineers, UX Researchers, and UX Designers — Highlighting specialization within design.
- Meta (Facebook): Product Design — Reinforcing the role of designers in shaping the product.
- Startups: Often just Design — Keeping things broad to accommodate fast-moving, hybrid roles.
Each naming decision reveals something deeper: how a company sees design’s role in driving business success. For some, it’s about specialisation. For others, it’s about all-encompassing. And for companies like Duolingo, it’s about aligning design more closely with product outcomes.
This raises a bigger question: Is UX evolving into something new, or are we just relabelling the same work?
Takeaways for design leaders
If you’re leading a design team, here’s what Duolingo’s move should make you consider:
- Naming reflects priorities. Your team’s name signals what matters most.
- Team identity matters. Duolingo’s team felt that "UX" didn’t fit. That matters.
- Alignment is key. Does your title match how design actually operates in your company?
Beyond job titles, other shifts are shaping design’s future:
- AI’s growing role. Designers need to complement, not compete with, AI tools.
- Blurring roles. Design, product management, and engineering are merging more than ever.
- Focus on outcomes. Business impact is becoming the ultimate measure of design success.
What's in a name?
Duolingo’s rebrand isn’t just about a name change.
It’s a reflection of how design fits within product-led companies. As one commenter put it: "Team rebrands are often more about internal dynamics than industry-wide trends."
At the end of the day, great designers don’t obsess over job titles. They focus on:
- Understanding users
- Delivering designs that work
- Navigating business constraints
Whether you’re a UX Designer, Product Designer, or part of a "Product Experience" team, your core challenge remains the same: build digital experiences that balance user needs and business goals.
For now, I’m happy calling myself a product designer. What about you?
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