How to manage stakeholder expectations around UX/UI design in B2B SaaS
In B2B SaaS, aligning stakeholders around UX/UI design can be one of the toughest challenges product leaders face. Unlike consumer products, where decisions are often driven by direct user feedback and iterative improvements, B2B products must balance the needs of enterprise clients, technical constraints, business goals, and user experience - all within the same roadmap.
Stakeholders - whether executives, sales teams, customer success, or engineering - often have different priorities when it comes to UX/UI. Some may see design as a secondary concern, while others push for changes that might not align with the long-term strategy. The result? Design debt, fragmented user experiences, and a constant struggle between short-term demands and long-term vision.
This is where product management and UX must work together to create alignment. Product teams need to communicate the value of UX/UI in driving adoption, reducing churn, and ultimately impacting revenue. Without a clear strategy for managing expectations, UX/UI risks being deprioritised in favour of quick wins or customer-specific feature requests.
This article explores the core challenges of aligning stakeholders on UX/UI, how to communicate design value effectively, and practical strategies for making UX/UI a shared priority rather than an afterthought.
Why UX/UI alignment is harder in B2B SaaS
While all product teams face stakeholder pressures, B2B SaaS presents unique challenges that make managing expectations particularly difficult.
1. Stakeholder priorities often conflict
B2B SaaS products have a broad set of stakeholders, each with different motivations:
| Stakeholder | UX/UI Priorities |
|---|---|
| Executives (CEO, CFO, CPO) | Market differentiation, revenue growth, and cost efficiency. |
| Sales Teams | UI features that help close deals -even if they add complexity. |
| Customer Success | Usability improvements that reduce churn and support costs. |
| Engineering Teams | Technical feasibility, performance, and scalability. |
Meanwhile, product management and UX teams must ensure that user experience isn’t deprioritised amidst competing demands. This often leads to reactive design decisions rather than a well-defined UX strategy.
2. Buyers and end users have different expectations
A core challenge in B2B SaaS is that the people who buy the product are not always the ones who use it.
Buyers (decision-makers) care about ROI, integrations, and security.
End users (employees) value usability, efficiency, and ease of adoption.
Because buyers hold purchasing power, UX/UI often takes a backseat during the sales process - until usability issues surface post-implementation. By then, addressing these problems becomes more costly and time-consuming.
3. Custom feature requests create design complexity
B2B SaaS companies frequently deal with enterprise customers requesting custom features to fit their workflows.
Sales teams push for UX/UI changes to win deals.
Product teams struggle to balance these requests with long-term scalability.
Design consistency suffers, leading to a fragmented product experience.
Without a clear process for managing these requests, teams risk accumulating design debt that weakens the product’s overall usability.
4. UX/UI is often seen as a secondary concern
A common misconception in B2B SaaS is that functionality matters more than usability - that users will "figure it out" as long as the product delivers the right features.
This mindset leads to:
Overcomplicated interfaces that overwhelm users.
Higher support costs due to usability issues.
Lower adoption rates, despite feature richness.
The challenge is shifting stakeholder perception so that UX/UI is recognised as a business enabler rather than a cosmetic afterthought.
How to align stakeholders on UX/UI priorities
Successfully managing expectations requires a proactive approach. Here’s how to ensure UX/UI remains a key part of your product strategy.
1. Set UX/UI expectations early
Stakeholder alignment starts before major UX/UI decisions are made. Establish a strong foundation by:
Defining UX/UI principles upfront. Create design guidelines that stakeholders can reference when evaluating decisions.
Clarifying business and technical constraints. Not all UX/UI requests are feasible - setting clear expectations prevents unnecessary friction later.
Educating stakeholders on UX impact. Use case studies and industry benchmarks to show how strong UX/UI drives revenue, adoption, and retention.
By aligning early, teams reduce the risk of last-minute conflicts over design decisions.
2. Translate UX/UI value into business outcomes
Many stakeholders aren’t familiar with UX/UI terminology, making it difficult for them to see its value. To secure buy-in, frame UX/UI discussions in business terms relevant to each stakeholder group:
Executives: Show how UX improvements impact retention, customer satisfaction, and expansion revenue.
Sales: Demonstrate how intuitive design speeds up onboarding and reduces churn.
Customer success: Highlight how UX/UI improvements lower support ticket volume and improve NPS scores.
Engineering: Emphasise how UX/UI streamlines workflows and reduces technical complexity.
When stakeholders see how UX/UI contributes to measurable business goals, they’re more likely to support design investments.
3. Use data to support UX/UI decisions
Design debates can be subjective - but data isn’t. Use research to back up UX/UI recommendations:
User research: Interviews, usability testing, and surveys provide direct feedback from customers.
Analytics: Metrics like time-to-task completion, feature adoption, and error rates show UX/UI effectiveness.
A/B testing: Testing different UI variations provides empirical evidence for what works best.
The more data-driven your UX/UI approach, the easier it is to justify design decisions.
4. Prioritise stakeholder requests strategically
Not every stakeholder request should drive design decisions. Establish a structured process for evaluating requests:
Prioritise based on impact. Focus on changes that improve both business outcomes and user experience.
Use a decision-making framework (e.g., RICE scoring) to assess feasibility and value.
Maintain a UX/UI roadmap to align priorities across teams.
This ensures UX/UI changes are intentional rather than reactive.
How to handle common stakeholder objections
Even with strong alignment, resistance to UX/UI changes is inevitable. Here’s how to address common objections:
"We don’t have time for UX research."
UX research prevents costly redesigns later. Investing time upfront saves development resources in the long run.
"Our customers only care about features."
Features alone don’t drive adoption - usability and efficiency matter just as much.
"We already have a UI - why change it?"
A functional UI isn’t necessarily an optimal one. Continuous improvements keep the product competitive.
"Let’s just copy what [competitor] is doing."
Every product serves unique users. Copying competitors may lead to misalignment with actual customer needs.
Managing stakeholder expectations around UX/UI in B2B SaaS isn’t about compromise - it’s about alignment. By positioning UX/UI as a business driver, using data to guide decisions, and setting clear processes for stakeholder input, product leaders can ensure design remains a priority.
As product management and UX become increasingly intertwined, companies that invest in strong UX/UI alignment will gain a competitive advantage - not just through feature depth, but through experiences that drive real user adoption.
At Digital Product People, we help B2B SaaS companies bridge the gap between UX/UI and business priorities. Our team specialises in creating seamless, user-driven digital experiences while ensuring stakeholder alignment every step of the way. If you’re looking to strengthen your product’s UX strategy, let’s talk. Contact us today to see how we can help.
