Why It Took a Week to Write This

It took me a full week to sit down and reflect on UX Sofia 2025.

Some experiences need distance before they make sense.
Good events leave residue. They follow you into workdays, quiet evenings, and half-formed thoughts that only connect later.

This one stayed with me longer than expected.

What UX Sofia 2025 Felt Like

The announced topic was clear.

The skills of UX designers of the future.

Inside the room, the conversation moved deeper.
People were already living through the shift. They came with lived questions shaped by real projects, real pressure, and real responsibility.

The focus was practical. The mood was honest.

The Shift Already in Motion

AI is already part of the design workflow.

It drafts. It generates. It organizes. It accelerates.
The effect is visible in how quickly work moves and how much output is suddenly possible.

What changes is the role designers play inside that speed.

Design value moves earlier in the process:

• Framing problems

• Choosing what to ignore

• Deciding when something is good enough

• Knowing when automation should stop

Key insight:
As execution becomes faster, decision quality becomes more visible.

The Questions That Filled the Room

The most common questions shared a pattern.

• Where should my attention go now?

• How do I evaluate options when AI produces many acceptable ones?

• How do I know when a solution fits reality instead of just looking correct?

These questions point to maturity.
They come from people already working inside complex systems.

Why Judgment Keeps Coming Up

Judgment appears where:

• Metrics conflict

• Context shifts faster than documentation

• Users behave differently than expected

• Systems technically function while people struggle inside them

These moments define UX work at scale.

They require experience, restraint, and accountability.
They cannot be delegated without consequences.

Key insight:
AI increases speed. Judgment protects outcomes.

The Importance of Being Together

What made UX Sofia 2025 meaningful extended beyond the talks.

It was the conversations between sessions.
The shared recognition that everyone is adjusting at the same time.
The sense of alignment across different companies, seniority levels, and disciplines.

These gatherings slow the industry down just enough to notice what matters.

Appreciation

A sincere thank you to Dimiter Simov and Angelina Toneva from Lucrat Bulgaria.

You created an environment that encouraged clarity, openness, and thoughtful exchange.
That kind of space supports learning in a way slides alone never can.

What I’m Taking Forward

A few things feel settled after UX Sofia 2025.

• UX is increasingly about system behavior rather than individual screens

• AI amplifies existing strengths and existing weaknesses

• Designers who understand trade-offs remain central to decision-making

• Responsibility now defines relevance more than output volume

These shifts are already underway.

Closing Thought

UX has always evolved through pressure.

Tools change. Expectations change. Constraints shift.
What stays constant is the need for people who can think clearly when complexity rises.

UX Sofia 2025 reinforced something simple.

Relevance grows when designers slow down at the right moments and choose carefully.
That is where meaningful work continues to live.