UX Design ≠ Art

UI / UX designers solve problems and do not create art. User Experience Design primarily focuses on users, audiences, and KPIs. Whereas art is driven by emotions, carried with subjectivity, and embedded with personal preferences.

The myth of the “genius designer”, someone whose instincts and intuition lead to good design decisions, is indeed popular… This myth can lead some to conclude that design is never grounded in data, that design is never an empirical discipline, and that design practice is “art”.

However, design is and always has been informed by data. The “data” may be a set of experiences and informally gathered observations that provide the basis for design genius and “craft knowledge.” The data may also be generated from more systematic studies of users’ activities and opinions: lab-based studies, field observations, surveys, etc.

Good design is not arbitrary, superficial, or “just beautiful”, like a magnificent painting hanging on a wall. To prevent this superficial treatment, a systematic analytical approach is mandatory for optimal product development that meets both user needs and business goals.

To build the best possible experiences, design should always follow content and function, allowing accessibility and clarity to solve real-world problems by focusing on end-users.

References: Designing with Data [Book] — O’Reilly