Design is inherently subjective.
UX process tries to bring in objectivity to what’s inherently subjective.
![](https://realworldux.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/bring-objectivity-1024x576.png)
But even after going through a user research and understanding core user needs, how to craft that experience is completely up to a UX designer to decide.
![](https://realworldux.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/up-to-ux-designer-1024x576.png)
Throughout the design process, a designer makes hundreds of micro decisions for all these details to compose the design.
![](https://realworldux.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/micro-decisions-1024x576.png)
A typical UX process of coming up with a concept, validating it with a user, then iterating based on the feedback is good in general. But it has a tendency to drive designs toward something that people are already familiar with.
![](https://realworldux.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ux-process-1024x576.png)
On one side, it’s good because there’s no surprises. Everything looks familiar to most people. This means they can navigate products without any problems. That’s great!
![](https://realworldux.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/already-familiar-1024x576.png)
From the other side of the coin though, things get boring. Everything looks the same. There’s no uniqueness to any of the products out there.
![](https://realworldux.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/boring-1024x576.png)
I personally think it’s extremely important for design to carry some sort of character, or a playfulness, or a uniqueness. Obviously, a product needs a baseline usability that does not confuse the user to begin with.
![](https://realworldux.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/uniqueness-1024x576.png)
Classic Macintosh bomb icon is one of such examples.
![](https://realworldux.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/mac-bomb-1024x576.png)
Even in a very depressing, frustrating moment when a computer system crashes, the bomb icon brings in a sense of humor to ease the frustration.
At the time, this made a stark difference from Windows blue screen.
![](https://realworldux.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/windows-blue-screen-1024x576.png)
Pinch zoom interaction on mobile devices have become something we are all familiar with by now.
![](https://realworldux.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/pinch-zoom-1024x576.png)
From a strict usability point of view, it does not give any visual queue that you can do the pinch zoom on a screen.
But once you know it, it’s natural, intuitive and pleasing interaction.
Striking the right balance between a baseline usability and some additional touch that sparks user’s excitement, delight and joy, is what makes great designs great.
![](https://realworldux.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/right-balance-1024x576.png)
Following a UX process still remains as a foundation of what a UX designer does.
![](https://realworldux.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/following-the-ux-process-1024x576.png)
But things tend to go towards something very dry and boring, if you don’t work on that “additional touch”.
![](https://realworldux.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/dry-1024x576.png)
I’d strongly advocate for adding such “additional touch”.
![](https://realworldux.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/additional-touch-1024x576.png)
Initially coming up with that “additional touch” often starts by a very small number of individuals with creative minds. It doesn’t always have to come from designers.
A lot of times, this “additional touch” is viewed outside of MVP from priority perspective.
![](https://realworldux.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/outside-of-mvp-1024x576.png)
But I think it makes a huge difference.
Check out YouTube version too.