Breaking Rules in UX Design

In UX design, "best practices" are often treated like sacred commandments. Always make the CTA pop. Keep designs minimalist. Simplify flows as much as possible. These are the mantras we hear over and over again. But what happens when these so-called best practices don’t work?

When "Best Practices" Need Rethinking

I once worked on a project where the usual best practices didn’t quite fit. The goal was to create a seamless, user-friendly experience—one that truly simplified the user journey. But as we tested our initial designs, we realized that simplicity itself can be misunderstood. Minimalist design without context? Users felt lost. Flows that skipped details? They left users searching for answers.

The problem wasn’t simplicity. It was that we hadn’t yet hit the right balance between clarity and usability for this particular audience. Best practices were a great starting point, but they needed refinement to meet the specific needs of the people who would actually use the product.

Understanding Users Is the Real Best Practice

Here’s the thing: best practices are guidelines, not guarantees. They’re meant to be adapted based on what your users actually need. What works beautifully for one audience might fall flat for another. Good UX requires a deeper understanding of your users, their behaviors, and their expectations.

In this project, we went back to user research. We observed how people interacted with the product, listened to their frustrations, and dug into why they were struggling. The insights we gained helped us reshape the design in ways that stayed simple but added clarity where it mattered most.

Instead of overwhelming the interface with new features or flashy elements, we introduced subtle cues and more intuitive pathways. The flow remained straightforward, but each step now provided just enough guidance to make users feel confident and informed.

Breaking Rules to Stay User-Friendly

The adjustments we made weren’t about breaking rules for the sake of it—they were about serving the user. We rethought the way information was presented and used simplicity as a tool, not an aesthetic. CTAs became more intuitive, not just eye-catching. Minimalism stayed, but it was supported by context that users could immediately understand.

The result? A user experience that felt effortless. Engagement improved. Users completed tasks without confusion. And most importantly, the feedback we received confirmed that the design felt natural and supportive.

The Real Rule of UX

At the heart of UX design is one guiding principle: do what works for your users. That might mean following best practices to the letter, or it might mean bending them to fit the unique needs of your audience. Either way, the goal is the same—to create something meaningful, intuitive, and impactful.

Simplicity isn’t about stripping everything away. It’s about focusing on what’s essential and presenting it in the clearest, most helpful way possible. When you truly understand your users, you can make bold, informed choices that lead to experiences they love.

Great UX isn’t about playing it safe. It’s about experimenting, iterating, and always keeping the user at the center of the process. By being thoughtful and intentional, we can create designs that not only work but feel like second nature to the people using them.

So let’s break some rules, not for the sake of it, but to deliver experiences that truly make a difference. ?