UX

Why Great UX Doesn’t Always Come from User Requests

Jan Nikka A. Estefani

March 10, 2025

In User Experience (UX) design, there’s a widely held belief: “design for the user,” which suggests that products should be built according to user requests and specifications. On the surface, this makes sense. After all, who knows a user’s needs better than the users themselves? But the reality is more complex. Users don’t always know what’s best for them. In fact, their requests can often reflect habits, biases, or limited thinking rather than what would truly improve their experience. So, what if great UX doesn’t always come from the users’ direct input? Let’s dive into this notion and explore how visionary design often leads the way.

The Reality of User Feedback

User feedback is invaluable, but it’s important to recognize that it’s not always a perfect reflection of what users truly need. People’s requests are often shaped by their past experiences and current knowledge, and they may struggle to articulate needs they haven’t yet imagined. This is influenced by several biases, like the status quo bias, where users prefer familiar solutions, or cognitive biases, which limit their ability to think beyond existing solutions.

For example, when the first smartphones came out, many users were resistant to the idea of a touchscreen, preferring physical keyboards. They didn’t fully realize how much the touchscreen would improve their overall experience, enabling greater functionality, speed, and ease of use. User feedback was more about what they knew and felt comfortable with, rather than imagining the transformative possibilities of a new interface.

Case Studies: Successful Designs That Users Didn’t Ask For

To understand the power of innovative UX design that users didn’t initially ask for, we can look at several examples features that were initially resisted but ultimately became essential to the experience.

1. Dark Mode

Dark Mode, which alters the interface’s color scheme to darker tones, was initially met with skepticism. Users questioned its practicality and aesthetic appeal. However, as more applications and operating systems adopted Dark Mode, users began to appreciate its benefits, such as reduced eye strain in low-light environments and potential battery savings on OLED screens. Today, Dark Mode is a standard feature in many apps and devices, offering users a choice that enhances their comfort and personalization.

2. Microinteractions

Microinteractions are subtle animations or design elements that provide feedback to users during interactions, such as a button changing color when clicked or a subtle animation confirming a task completion. Initially, designers and developers were hesitant to implement microinteractions, fearing they might distract users or complicate the interface. However, as the importance of engaging and intuitive design became more evident, microinteractions gained popularity. They are now widely used to enhance user engagement and provide intuitive feedback, enriching the overall user experience.

3. Voice User Interfaces (VUIs)

With the rise of virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, Voice User Interfaces have become increasingly prevalent. Initially, users were skeptical about the accuracy and usefulness of voice commands, and designers faced challenges in creating effective voice interactions. However, advancements in speech recognition technology and natural language processing have improved the reliability of VUIs. Today, voice interactions are seamlessly integrated into many devices and applications, providing hands-free and efficient user experiences.

These case studies show that successful designs often come from pushing boundaries, even when users don’t immediately recognize their benefits.

The Role of the Designer in User Experience

Designers play a pivotal role in shaping user experiences, not simply by following what users ask for but by interpreting and translating user needs in creative ways. While user feedback is important, it’s often up to designers to dig deeper to understand the real problems and uncover the best solutions.

Designers must use techniques like user interviews, observation, and personas to get a fuller picture of user needs. They must also stay open to the idea that users don’t always know what they want until they see it. Great designers are visionaries who guide users toward solutions they may not yet realize are possible.

For example, instead of just designing an app based on user requests to improve navigation, a designer might innovate with gesture-based controls that users never thought of but ultimately find more intuitive and efficient.

Balancing User Input with Visionary Design

While user input is crucial, balancing it with visionary design principles is key to creating truly outstanding UX. Designers should avoid simply reacting to user demands and instead use their expertise to craft experiences that challenge expectations.

One effective approach is prototyping and testing. By creating low-fidelity prototypes and testing them with real users, designers can observe how users interact with new ideas, identify potential issues, and refine designs iteratively. This approach ensures that innovative features are aligned with user needs, even if users were initially resistant to them.

It’s also important to maintain a clear vision for the product, pushing forward with designs that offer greater benefits, even when they deviate from user expectations. As Steve Jobs once said, “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

In UX design, the user is not always the best person to predict what will work best. Designers, as visionaries, play a vital role in interpreting and enhancing user feedback, sometimes guiding users toward needs they didn’t even know they had. Designers can push the boundaries of what’s possible and create experiences that exceed user expectations. So, the next time you hear the familiar refrain of “design for the user,” remember that great UX often comes from anticipating needs, not just reacting to requests.