Adaptation over a strict plan

Back in 1987, software teams were drowning in rigid planning. Projects took years, requirements were locked in stone, and change was the enemy. Then something revolutionary happened: a small group of developers started working differently, embracing change instead of fighting it. This eventually became what we know today as Agile methodology.

The same principle applies to UX design. We live in a world where user needs shift daily, business priorities pivot quarterly, and technology advances constantly.

When teams become too attached to their plans, they start serving the plan instead of the users. Every research insight that contradicts the roadmap gets dismissed. Every technical constraint becomes a frustration rather than useful information. Before long, teams are building solutions for problems that no longer exist.

That’s what this value is about. While planning helps us move forward with purpose, adaptation helps us move forward with wisdom.

What really matters in adaptation is:

• Staying curious about what users actually need right now
• Treating unexpected findings as valuable information, not inconveniences
• Building processes that can bend without breaking
• Learning from each iteration and adjusting course accordingly

Military strategist Helmuth von Moltke captured this perfectly when he said:

“No plan survives contact with the enemy.”

In UX, our “enemy” isn’t users—it’s the gap between what we think users need and what they actually need.

We should plan enough to move forward confidently, but stay flexible enough to course-correct when we learn something new. The best solutions emerge when we’re prepared to be surprised.

UX is about solving real problems, not following perfect plans.