10 Design Dilemmas and How to Navigate Them

8 min readOct 22, 2020

Dilemmas are part of everyday life, not just design. As we go on our respective design journeys, we tend to come across many crossroads — whether it be picking an ice cream flavour, choosing fonts, or choosing your next job.

Disclaimer: This article does not make your decisions for you; you gotta do that yourself, however, it does give you some tools to help you make the right one for yourself.

Double disclaimer: Decisions are scary, but on closer observation, it isn’t the choice itself that causes fear. It comes from taking responsibility for the consequences of our choices.

1. User v/s Stakeholder

Designers usually make decisions based on user/end-consumer needs. After all, this is what we’re taught is good design, right? ‘Think of the User’, ‘ Empathize’. But as any practicing designer knows, this is usually not enough. There lies another obstacle in your design journey to create meaningful products — the client. And rightfully so, because all said and done, they are the stakeholders.

How do we tackle a face-off with the stakeholders over ‘best for user’ and ‘best for business’?

There is no one-size-fits-all, but the essence here is to stay true to your craft. If business interests and user needs do not match completely (you know that feeling, don’t you?), let the stakeholders know both sides of the coin, tell them what you recommend and let it be their final decision.

Suggest a User Test to make a decision (Beware: you might be proved wrong; let the ego slide, but this is the best decision for the user).

There usually lies a sweet spot in what would work for both the business and the user. Figure out the middle path and make it work for the client.

2. Ethics v/s Manipulation

Ethics and ‘the right thing’ are a whole range of grey, not just in design but in life. At a time when there is an upswing in awareness of privacy, manipulation, and such, it makes life harder for the designer’s conscience. So how do we navigate this difficult choice?

Firstly, realize if something you are designing is going to affect its users adversely. Many designers, whose products that we use, never realized the consequences of their actions. Awareness is key.

If you are in a situation where you believe that this might happen, confront your fellow designers and managers about your dilemma and work out a solution. It makes sense to be as transparent as possible, especially when working in a team.

Lastly, confront the client about this possibility. Recommend solutions to solve the problem while keeping the essence of the product in place.

In extreme situations, if things go south, take a call on if you should continue working on the project. (Is dooming humanity worth it? Maybe.)

3. Gut feeling v/s Logic

A lot involving design is gut-driven. When we are in problem-solving mode, and solutions pop up in a snap of the finger, it is our intuition telling us that something will work and something will not. Not every decision is made after loads of A/B testing and detailed analysis.

But when somebody asks why we think Possibility A is better than possibility B, we usually cannot figure out why. It just is! Right? Not really; it’s just that our brain knows and has seen Possibility A before and knows it works. So, it tries to save cognitive load by skipping the whole reasoning process that it has done the same numerous times. That is why experienced designers have greater gut-driven opinions.

However, it isn’t always right to let your gut make your decisions. There needs to be a balance of logic and analysis with intuition. Knowing when to use analysis, or intuition, or both, is what experience will teach us.

4. Fancy titles v/s Meaningful work

Have you ever had to make a decision where mainstream definitions of success fail to match something that interests you? This is more common than you think. One of the scariest dilemmas of life (slight exaggeration here) is choosing between a high-paying meaningless job and an average-paying job that feels exciting.

“I want a high-paying meaningful one”, you say.

Chandler: And I want a billion dollars.

There will be times when you need to make difficult decisions that seem impossible. Knowing that there are multiple factors at play when making this decision helps. What may be a solid choice for someone else may not be a solid choice for you. Being aware of your priorities will help care less about the ‘accepted’ decision. Knowing that this is a temporary choice, and you can change a situation anytime, reduces the burden on your head to make the right decision.

The parameter of measuring a successful decision is not in its consequences alone; it has got more to do with being authentic to yourself when you made this choice.

5. Career aspiration v/s Role limitations

Many roles, especially in the initial stage, have limited scope. If you are a person with crazy aspirations that are outside the scope of your role, it’s only natural to feel frustrated.

Take initiatives to do more things that interest you, irrespective of your role; this helps build a network and more meaningful relationships. More often than not, your managers will get to know your potential.

Most designers are multipotentialites, meaning they possess diverse skills and interests. If your role is limiting, know that you are not your role. You are much more than your day job. Indulge in a few side-projects and treat your other interests as equally important.

If you are constantly told to not indulge in anything than your role, it’s time to say goodbye to that role.

6. Invisible v/s Standing out

Too much Dribble is not healthy for a designer. While it is a platform that instills inspiration and for your work to reach other designers, in the real world, interfaces hardly look that sexy. Functionality and Accessibility are significant parameters, usually prioritized over fancy animations and micro-interactions.

In such a scenario, it might be tough to understand what defines good design. Is it good-looking or good-working? Of course, a balance of both would be ideal, but then again, so would world peace.

A good rule of thumb is to define the reason you are designing for. Is the intention to create a working-living product or a portfolio project that needs to look brilliant?

Having a clear intention removes any dilemma since success will have different parameters. The success of a working-living product is quantified by usage, while a portfolio project needs to make the audience go ‘whoaaaa’.

7. Good clients v/s High-paying clients

In the life of a designer, there will be good clients and bad clients. How do we recognize them? And is it worth it to sell your soul?

Firstly there’s no good or bad, it’s mostly good for me and bad for me. Checking if the client fits your goals, working style, and budget (of course, gotta pay the bills y’all!), is important.

Assess the situation in survival mode; it’s okay to get high-paying clients provided you have assessed the risk. If you’re floating reasonably well, focus on getting more meaningful clients and hence, meaningful work. Remember, if there is no house to live in, buying a beautiful painting is pointless.

Don’t beat yourself up about taking lesser-than-ideal work during difficult situations; you are doing your best to stay afloat, and this is only temporary.

8. Can do v/s Keep it real

Everyone loves the most enthusiastic person, has a can-do attitude to work, and takes up everything that comes their way. This is a great attitude; it enables us to grow and see opportunities when others cannot.

But like everything else, this needs to be kept in check.

What happens when your colleagues or bosses tend to take you for granted, rely on you too much, and push your boundaries so often that it affects your productivity and mental health? The super enthusiastic guy cannot say no. When you tell that to yourself, burn out is inevitable.

The can-do attitude is great, but keep it in check by having definite boundaries. Know when to stop and make it clear to others as well.

9. Skills v/s Brain

Some designers have an action-oriented approach, while some are thinkers. Knowing which direction you feel inclined to helps to intentionally work towards being good at the other end of the spectrum.

The mistake of giving preference to one over another would lead to you being an incomplete designer, as the process demands one to operate from both the extremes. Of course, none of us can be pros at both; it helps to work towards your weaker points and collaborate with others who operate from the opposite end. Even if you fail to improve upon your weakness, you know enough to get others to help you out who work in that direction.

One mistake most designers make is thinking higher of either brain (or skill) and dismissing the one that they cannot relate to or find difficulty operating in, whereas they go hand-in-hand.