Just Make It Look Good

In the highly competitive world of UX design, looks matter, but they are just one part of a larger puzzle.

In the past, I had a moment with a client when they approached me with a straightforward request:

"Just make it look good."

A simple request, right?

At first, it seemed like an easy win—a chance to flex my design skills, create a sleek, modern interface, take the money and move on.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: good design isn’t about just the looks—it’s about how it works.

But try telling that to a client who thinks their only problem is that their app doesn’t have enough “wow” factor.

Why I Didn’t Say “Yes” Right Away

When I got their request, I was like: Sure that’s easy.

But then I paused and took a step back. I wanted to see what more I could do. So instead of agreeing immediately, I told them: "Alright, let me go through it and get back to you."

To better understand their product, I downloaded their app and became the user. I signed up. I clicked around. I tried to do things. And—no surprise—the app fought me every step of the way.

• Why did it take four clicks to do what should take one?

• Why was the most important button hiding?

• Why did I feel like I needed a map just to find my way back?

The real kicker? None of this was about visuals. The colours were fine. The fonts were fine. The problem was deeper.

So before our next meeting, I made a plan. During this session, I encouraged the client's team to explore their own product while I asked questions about functionality and user interactions.

Walking the Client Through Their Own App

In our brainstorming session, I made their team use their own product—not the polished demo version, but the real, messy one.

As they struggled through the app, I kept asking:

“But why?”“Does this feel good to you?”

At first, they defended the design. "Users will figure it out.""That’s how it’s always been."

But then... silence.

Because I believe no one had ever asked them that before. They were seeing the problems for themselves.

The Moment They Realised

The more we went through it, the more they started noticing the pain points themselves that they had previously overlooked. That’s power. Not mine—the truth’s.

The conversation flipped. It was no longer about colours and fonts, but about:

• “Wait, why is this so hard?”

• “Why did we think this was okay?”

• “How did we not notice this before?”

That’s the magic of UX. It’s not about telling people they’re wrong. It’s about letting them see it for themselves.

I didn’t lay everything out for them at once—just enough to get them thinking and realise the situation.

Ever noticed how people trust ideas more when they feel like they came up with them?

The Hard Part: Admitting This Isn’t a Quick Fix

They had asked for a "visual refresh." What they actually needed was surgery.

And here’s where most projects fall apart—the moment the client realises fixing things properly means more time, more money, more work.

But this team surprised me.

“Okay,” they said. “Let’s do it right this time.”

That moment? Priceless.

Funny how stepping back often moves everyone forward.

So They Decided To Work With Me.

Once they saw the gaps, I showed them what we could really achieve with the right approach.

Now, the project scope expanded. This wasn’t a surface-level tweak—it was a structural overhaul.

• We restructured navigation.

• We cut unnecessary steps.

• We balanced beauty and brains.

The Dirty Secret No One Talks About: Most “bad design” isn’t ugly—it’s unthoughtful.

We didn’t scrap their old UI. We didn’t start from scratch. We listened to what the app was trying to be and just… helped it get there.

The result? Something that didn’t just look good—it felt good.

An App That Worked as Good as It Looked

When we launched the new version, the sense of relief and accomplishment among the client’s team was evident. They’d gone from "just aesthetics" to understanding true UX design:

"A beautiful interface means nothing if the experience frustrates users."

Looking back on the project, I realised that addressing the pain points not only improved the app's functionality but it gave the team with a new perspective on their product. This is the essence of UX design—engaging users through effective interactions instead of relying solely on visual flair.

What Do We Get Out Of This

1. Clients don’t hire us to do what they ask. They hire us to do what they need.

   Your real value isn’t in executing requests—it’s in rewriting them.
   

2. The best design solves invisible problems.

   The biggest issues aren’t always obvious—like a door that opens the wrong way. Your job? Make the invisible, obvious.
   

3. If you’re not making people uncomfortable, you’re not doing your job.

   If everyone’s happily nodding along, you’re decorating—not designing. Real progress starts when someone says, "Wait, this feels wrong…"
   

4. The problem isn’t always what the client thinks it is.

   Look beyond the surface.
   

5. Show, don’t tell.

   Words convince. Experience converts. Make clients use their own product—then watch as the problems reveal themselves.
   

6. Good design = beauty + function.

   That stunning button? Worthless if users can’t find it. Good design isn’t about choosing between form and function—it’s about balancing both.
   

This is why we don’t just say "yes." We ask "why."

When was the last time you ignored a client’s request to solve their actual problem? (Or worse—when did you wish you had?)

#uxdesign #productdesign #userexperience #designthinking #gooddesign #uiux #humancentereddesign