I made my mom watch K-Pop Demon Hunters! Or how viral animation is related to UX leadership
I made my mom watch K-pop demon hunters. For her, it was homework — a crash course to catch up with the references her younger colleagues at Facebook drop constantly. For me, it was something different entirely: the metaphors that keep me glued to it for the 14th time. The show’s mix of flawless choreography and hidden battles feels eerily familiar to anyone who’s tried to “perform” in a corporate arena. Watching it with her, I realised I wasn’t just binge-watching idols fighting demons — I was watching my own story of UX leadership and masking play out in glitter and fire.
In one of my favourite scenes, the leader tells the rookie that “no one notices the scars under the sequins” (my paraphrase). For years I thought that was the only way to “do” corporate America too: memorise the moves, speak the jargon, follow the playbook. I built UX teams and products while hiding my own messy inner dialogue, convinced it was a flaw to be concealed. Only recently, writing uncensored posts on KH Creative and LinkedIn, did I start to feel like one of those demon hunters mid-transformation — shedding the costume, fighting my own ghosts, and finally stepping into my real power as a designer and leader.
Three Things K-Pop Demon Hunters Taught Me About UX Leadership
1. Choreography ≠ Authenticity. Perfectly timed moves look great on stage but they don’t slay demons offstage. In UX, sticking to the process and templates is necessary, but real breakthroughs come when you let your own instincts show — questioning assumptions, testing unorthodox flows, speaking up even when it breaks rhythm.
2. Training Hurts, but Masks Hurt More. The characters endure brutal training but it’s hiding their pain that makes them weak. I learned the same thing in my career: suppressing my “overthinking” and inner dialogue didn’t make me a better leader, it made me disconnected. Dropping the mask is what actually builds trust with teams and clients.
3. Vulnerability is a Superpower. Every transformation scene in the show is about a character embracing their hidden side to unlock new powers. In design leadership, vulnerability is what lets you connect with users, stakeholders, and your own team. It’s not a liability — it’s literally how you level up.
Somewhere along the way, my querky brain cam up with it’s own lyrics to the famous song from the movie:
“We are designers, voices strong,
slaying pixels with our song.
Fix UI and make it right —
that’s when darkness meets the light.”
We don’t have to keep dancing someone else’s choreography forever. Sometimes the bravest UX move you can make is to step out of formation, show your own scars, and design from the heart.
Am I your idol yet? 😈
