Why the evolving role of designers changes everything with Lacey Fabrizio

Episode page: https://bit.ly/3KT962a As we head into 2026, design is no longer just about aesthetics—it’s about strategy, collaboration, and customer empathy. In this episode of Insights Unlocked, Nathan Isaacs sits down with Lacey Fabrizio, Principal Solution Marketing Manager at UserTesting, to discuss the major shifts happening in the design and product space. Lacey shares three key trends reshaping the field: Designers are moving upstream and playing a more strategic role in defining problems—not just polishing solutions. AI is becoming a powerful brainstorming partner, helping designers break creative patterns and explore new directions. Teams are adopting continuous, lightweight feedback loops to stay tightly connected to customer needs and avoid designing in the dark. Whether you're in design, product, or marketing, this conversation offers valuable insight into how to embrace these changes and design with more intention. What you’ll learn: How designers are gaining influence earlier in product development Why AI is most powerful as a creative collaborator The importance of fast, continuous user feedback to improve outcomes How these trends are shaping a more empowered, customer-first design culture Resources & links: Lacey Fabrizio on LinkedIn Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn The 2026 Experience Survival Guide: scaling human insight across every team — This on-demand webinar explores how AI and connected workflows help teams gather and act on customer feedback faster, smarter, and at scale across UX, product, design, and marketing. How to enhance design efficiency through continuous user feedback — This guide shows how continuous user feedback helps designers move faster, make smarter decisions, and reduce rework by testing early and iterating often. How to transform your UX design process with continuous customer feedback — an Insights Unlocked episode about building continuous customer interview programs to support the product development life cycle. How design teams leverage user feedback in design to transform products — This blog post explains how user feedback bridges intention and real experience to elevate design outcomes and reduce costly revisions.