Your users aren’t loyal - they’re just trapped :(

I’ve always championed the mantra: “Design is everything!” A smooth, intuitive experience drives engagement and retention, while bad UX pushes users away. Or so I thought—until I realized that’s not always true.

Users often tolerate bad UX—sometimes for years—when the product delivers something they can’t get elsewhere

When resources are tight, companies prioritize usability based on how competitive the market is. In a crowded field, design becomes a powerful differentiator—users will flock to the option that offers both utility and a seamless experience.

But in niche, high-necessity markets with little competition? Usability takes a backseat. When the product is critical and alternatives are scarce, users endure friction because they have to.

Think government portals, university systems, or many professional software for that matter. Even Adobe—despite its complexity and steep learning curves—has held its position as an industry standard for decades.

This insight reshaped my understanding of UX. If the perceived or actual value of a product is high enough, users will tolerate poor usability rather than abandon it encouraging the companies to allocate resources elsewhere, such as expanding features, improving infrastructure etc.

But here’s the risk: A product that survives despite poor UX is running on borrowed time. The moment a competitor offers the same utility with better usability, the balance shifts. Look at Figma stealing Adobe’s thunder :)

So here’s the question we must ask ourselves: Are your users staying because they love the experience—or because they have no other choice?

If your users are silently enduring bad UX today, what happens when they finally have an alternative?