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Is aiming for perfection necessary for a UI UX designer?

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Reading Time: 5 minutes

The best UI UX designers in the world strive for perfection. These perfectionists are obsessed with avoiding failure at any cost and are constantly worrying about their work as they feel that their work will not be up to the mark or sufficient. They also have similar expectations from people around them. But is it really necessary to be perfect? At all times?

Perfection as defined in psychology 

Perfection as Defined in Psychology

Perfection is a complex puzzle and is hard to define. Many psychologists have given their entire youth to understand the science behind perfectionism.

Flawless production of work, organised, on time and many more attributes like these can state that a person is perfect.

But what we often overlook is the extreme level of motivation and conscientiousness that perfectionists have. They tend to be highly inflexible and set a very high bar of expectation from others.

As it is rightly said,

“A certain level of perfection does nothing but good,
and more than a certain level of perfection does nothing good.”

Is it possible to achieve perfection in designing?

Is it possible to achieve perfection in designing?

Let’s be clear about one thing; perfection is the enemy of good things.

Coming to UX UI design, the designers are at work to create experiences for the users. They ensure that the user experience is memorable and smooth.

Designers walk a thin line between the user experience and reducing friction. If the design works efficiently, then it is probably perfect for the user.

The problem is that we all want to find that perfect solution that is rarely there. With a rapidly changing business environment and users’ needs, it is pointless to have perfection as long as you are meeting them both.

While designing, a designer must put aside his/her personal preferences of how the design should be.

Since perfection is an individual perspective, the designer must keep in mind what the user will like.

A great UX design is only about taking a part of your vision about what you want to achieve but also applying it in the best way possible in reality with the project’s goals.

Working in a design team allows you to see and understand that the requirement of consumers changes frequently and with those changes comes the changes in the designs.

A perfectionist at work who accepts nothing but perfection could end up wasting a lot of time and resources on details with almost no returns.

The digital design sector is a fast-paced sector that brings many changes now and then, and we could thank Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for that.

Users’ feedback makes you better

To be successful, every UI UX designer must learn from the audience, in this case, users, about their needs in one way or the other.

When catering to a functional design, the approach is more important than perfection.

In the digital world, a design’s life cycle is only till it gets positive feedback from the user. Once the audience moves on to another product design, designers must learn and understand from that work.

Great design is an iterative process

A good designer knows that rapid prototyping is temporary, and it is supposed to be that way.

The major drawback a designer faces is spending a lot of time perfecting the prototype. By this, they end up being so attached to the idea that they forget to consider the UX design process in its entirety.

Rapid prototyping means adding fewer favourites and more of what is required.

A designer needs to remember that once the design is done, only then the wireframe will become a reality with the help of engineers and coders.

How to beat the need To perfect

The word “Perfect” is derived from the Latin word “Perfectus” which means completed or accomplished. If we go by the definition, our work can never be complete if we can not achieve the goal that is; building a delightful user experience.

Don't strive to be perfect, be good.

At any point, you find yourself trying to perfect a good UX design, just stop right there. Instead of focusing on shortcomings focus, on usability and making it an enjoyable experience for the users.

Ask yourself:

  1. What the end goal is?
  2. Is it the design or the user experience?
  3. What the user would want? Aesthetics or usability?

Focusing on how the user will interact with the design will help you narrow down the list of things to be put in the design and this way it would be easier to come up with the design that helps in progress.

If a conflict arises between two prototypes, it is safe to opt for A/B testing, which will help finalise the correct prototype for the end-users.

A great design is made with a lot of information and creativity. In the starting phase of the project, don’t sweat about details instead focus on research and feedback that will help give a different perspective that could gain you the advantage.

Aiming for perfection in any work is a never-ending struggle, and so it is essential to focus on an approach that will give a better outcome. Here are a few points to consider while designing.

  1. Don’t fear making mistakes.
    Mistakes are lessons you learn as you grow better at something. Don’t let the fear of doing something wrong hold you back from making something awesome.
  2. Don’t wait till you perfect your work.
    A creative person, such as a designer, does put a lot of pressure on themself. Don’t let the idea of perfecting a design waste your time.
  3. Stop believing your work is not good enough.
    If you were to see your work from another’s perspective, you would know your worth. When working, don’t feel inferior about your work instead show it to those around you ask their opinion and consider it to better your design.

Conclusion

The design doesn’t need to be perfect. It just has to be good enough that your user base can enjoy it.

If we spend too much time making things perfect, we’ll end up missing something that could make the product better.

It is vital to work on a design keeping the bigger picture in mind and focusing on creating an interactive portal that the customers enjoy.

We must focus on the progress that allows us to evolve as designers and inspire us to create better interactive products.

You may also like to read about:

8 ways to overcome creative block and get more creative ideas

Vansha Kalra

Vansha Kalra is a UI UX designer with years of professional experience. She is celebrated for her creativity and innovative approach to user interfaces and experiences. Her background in graphic design provides a strong foundation in visual aesthetics and design principles, which she skillfully applies to her work in the digital realm. Vansha is passionate about creative work and continuously seeks to explore new ideas and artistic expressions to enhance her designs.

In addition to her professional achievements, Vansha enjoys spending her free time doodling and baking, which reflects her artistic flair and personal creativity. Her commitment to her craft and personal interests enriches her design perspective and contributes to her unique UI UX design approach.

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Vansha Kalra

UI UX Designer

Vansha Kalra, a seasoned UI UX designer, adeptly combines her expertise in graphic design with a passion for creativity to craft innovative user interfaces.

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