It’s that time of year again: customer experience predictions season.
The nights are drawing in, the temperature is dropping, and CX analysts from across the globe are dusting off their crystal balls.
While you can expect an onslaught of predictions over the coming months, very few will have the prestige of Forrester, a leading global research and advisory firm with expertise in the CX space.
In a blog post discussing the current and future state of customer experience, Maxie Schmidt, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester, described 2025 as “another tough year for CX teams.”
She believes that “many CX teams are drifting dangerously close to the event horizon of metric obsession” and are “circling the black hole of measurement without meaning.”
While Schmidt’s remarks sound troubling at best, and downright alarming at worst, she also offers reasons to be optimistic, stating that “2026 marks a critical inflection point.
“Some [organizations] will break free — modernizing, upskilling, and repositioning CX as a catalyst for business value. Others will cling to legacy practices and risk being pulled beyond the point of no return, where CX loses relevance and credibility.”
The predictions not only outline the challenges and roadblocks that CX teams might face in 2026, but they also offer guidance and advice on how to combat them.
Below are Forrester’s top five customer experience predictions for 2026.
Forrester’s 2026 Customer Experience Predictions
1. Metric Obsession Pushes CX Teams Toward a “Death Spiral”
Forrester warns that flat budgets and mounting pressure to prove value will tempt around 15% of CX teams into what it calls a “death spiral.”
These teams will double down on collecting and reporting survey data in an effort to justify their existence, but without real insight or business impact, their dashboards will amount to little more than noise.
The antidote? Shift from measurement to meaning.
Forrester believes the savviest teams will invest in advanced analytics and AI fluency to move from reactive scorekeeping to proactive problem-solving, embedding CX data directly into the AI models that power customer interactions.
2. AI-Led Research Will Spark Major Scandals
As more organizations hand over customer research to AI, Forrester predicts at least two major scandals will hit the headlines in 2026.
The rush to automate insight generation through synthetic audiences and AI-moderated interviews will leave some firms exposed when the tech’s limitations become painfully clear.
Forrester’s message is fairly simple: don’t sideline human expertise.
The research firm advises combining AI-driven insight with proven qualitative methods such as interviews and user testing to ensure that findings remain reliable, ethical, and grounded in reality.
3. Poorly Deployed GenAI Will Undermine Self-Service
Three in ten firms will damage their “Total Experience” growth in 2026 thanks to poorly implemented AI self-service.
Overconfidence in GenAI’s capabilities, paired with cost-cutting pressure, will see chatbots and virtual agents launched before they’re ready, leading to customer frustration and brand erosion.
CX teams must work hand-in-hand with service leaders to define where AI belongs, ensure transparency when it’s used, and closely monitor automated systems that influence customer outcomes behind the scenes.
4. Journey Mapping Faces a Crisis of Credibility
Once a cornerstone of CX strategy, journey mapping is rapidly losing its shine.
Forrester expects two-thirds of CX teams to abandon the practice altogether after years of producing maps that fail to drive meaningful change.
Too often, journey mapping has become a static exercise disconnected from real business impact.
To turn it around, CX leaders must evolve from mapping to managing journeys. Forrester advocates for prioritizing the moments that matter most, linking insights to operational improvements, and securing budgets for both quick fixes and breakthrough innovations.
5. Design Systems Will Become CX’s Secret Weapon
Finally, Forrester sees 2026 as the year design systems go mainstream.
With new accessibility regulations on the horizon and AI now influencing everything from interfaces to workflows, organizations will increasingly rely on design systems to keep experiences consistent, compliant, and on-brand.
Indeed, the research firm expects 80% of companies to invest heavily in this area, treating their design systems as products in their own right – complete with dedicated budgets, cross-functional ownership, and measurable business outcomes.
Those companies that get it right will build a strong foundation for safe, scalable, and customer-centric innovation.
The CX Inflection Point
Forrester’s 2026 customer experience predictions might not be the rosiest, but they are certainly clear on one point: the CX profession is at a crossroads.
As Schmidt explained, some teams will evolve – embracing AI responsibly, connecting insight to impact, and redefining their role as engines of business value; while others will cling to old habits, chasing metrics and managing maps as the world moves on without them.
Those who choose the former path will be well positioned not just to survive the turbulent times ahead, but to thrive.
These teams and departments will have the capacity to lead their organizations into a new era in which CX is a discipline woven into every decision that shapes the overall business.
