UX, as user experience is known, is the new black in business culture. Most of the executives I meet with, regardless of their industry, now promote UX as key to their product strategy. That’s a big change from only five years ago, when UX wasn’t on anyone’s radar outside the tech world. For a designer like myself, it’s easy to recognize which executives know their products intimately, and which manage from a spreadsheet. Thankfully, I’m seeing the emergence of a new generation of UX-oriented leaders with little patience for the hands-off approach. They recognize that as UX eclipses traditional brand marketing, they need to be more hands-on with their products.