In the 70s when users were asked what they wanted on their products they all said woodgrain. We ended up with woodgrain on everything from staplers to station wagons. Why? Well part of it is the users saw the vinyl woodgrain on everything. I am telling you this because users don't always know what to say. Ask the users more abstract questions...you will get very interesting answers.

Design principles should be developed after conducting user research! The sweet spot is finding a win-win solution which is the sweet spot between 1. what you would like to project yourself as a client (design language/ brand etc) and 2. what users truly need (or desire). Far too often Design Principles (and persona) are designed in a boardroom, with user feedback as an afterthought to 'validate' design...negative feedback is often shelved as it's too late to make changesback at the supplier. Then when the product doesn't sell, the design team is blamed and the cycle continues, new Design Principles are developed, again ignoring the user.

Balancing design principles with user feedback starts with a strong foundation of discovery and user research. Design principles should be built on genuine user needs. When this work is done empathetically and without bias, conflicts between design and feedback are less likely to arise. It’s also essential to assess the feedback source. Input from individuals outside the target audience carries less weight than feedback from those aligned with the product's goals. By grounding the product in user insights and properly evaluating feedback, teams can create solutions that align with user needs, preserve design integrity, and drive business objectives effectively.

Design principles don’t actually exist—there’s only pure market feedback. If the market pushes back, that’s your signal to adapt. The best products come from real-world input, not rigid principles.

If you're confident that the questions you're asking are correct, be prepared to re-assess your project's design principles or the target users. If you're sure of your guiding principles and that the feedback is coming from the intended users, then re-evaluate your questions. If the feedback is unsolicited, and you're both sure it's the right user and the right product, then look into communication and setting the right expectations.