Functionality and Aesthetics in Design
Looking through Dribble and Behance you can’t help but feel inspired by all the aesthetically pleasing designs. Personally, I have been enjoying the weird quirky designs and vibrant color palettes. But amidst the praise, a criticism I see is that these designs have aesthetics that don’t add any functionality and thus have a terrible user experience. It's a valid concern, after all, designing is a way to solve problems, and our outcomes should reflect that. Anything that doesn’t solve a problem is just decoration.
The common Aesthetics vs. Functionality debate
Putting Aesthetics and Functionality side-by-side often sparks the “Aesthetics vs. Functionality” debate. You can find tons of articles about this comparison. However, let's try to shift the focus from seeing these as competing aspects and look at the bigger picture. Rather than isolating either aspect and comparing them, we need to understand their individual part and their seamless integration for a cohesive user experience.
The bigger picture
As a UX Designer, I have to consider the entire spectrum of user interactions that build up to their experience. My responsibility is not limited to either functionality or aesthetics, rather both of these aspects come under a comprehensive circle of UX. They are integral to the final solution.
And it's not just about UX Design. In the past, we discussed how designing is the process of planning to solve a problem. Even if you are in a different field of design, functionality and aesthetics inevitably shape the outcome, provided they are well-planned.
Navigating a project as a lone designer means the boundary around keeps getting tighter as you consider all the stakeholders. Balancing considerations for the budget limitations to feasibility all while keeping the user’s experience in mind. If you work in a team, these responsibilities get divided up but then the whole team acts as one design body.
The Role of Functionality
When you take a holistic view while considering all the stakeholders, you realize how Aesthetics and Functionality are pieces that work in the same puzzle. Functionality of course is paramount for any design. Ensuring the product serves its purpose and meets user needs is non-negotiable. Low to mid-fidelity wireframes provide the perfect playground for exploring functionality and constructing a foundation upon which the entire design will rest.
The Role of Aesthetics
Transitioning from the initial low-fidelity functionality-focused design and sprinkling it with the brand's identity is just the first step. In a competitive market, the challenges shift slightly and you need to push aesthetics past just the brand identity. You have to make the design stand out from the crowd. Sometimes with a touch of extra flare, you focus on resonating with a specific demographic. Here, aesthetics play a pivotal role — they add flair, evoke emotions, and establish a memorable identity. The challenge, however, is to infuse aesthetics without overpowering functionality.
In this process, whatever aesthetics you add don’t end up being decorations. Rather they add to the entire experience for the user and aid to the entire solution. On the opposite end, if your product is a unique stand-alone product with no competition yet, aesthetics can be used just to evoke the right emotions and align with the brand identity. As standing out is not necessary, anything on top would just act as decoration, diminishing the value of the entire planning and design.
Considering the Context
The world of design is very contextual. It's often not a linear process. Functionality and Aesthetics can vary a lot depending on the context. Varying demographics call for different approaches to these aspects. For example, a design that is intended for use in a professional setting may need to be more conservative in its use of color and style. On the other hand, a design that is intended for use in a casual setting may be able to take more risks with its aesthetics. Context is …king?
The Bottom Line
It's not ‘Functionality vs Aesthetics’ or ‘Functionality and Aesthetics’. It's about seeing the context of the problem and solving it. That’s essentially what design is. When making decisions about functionality and aesthetics, it’s important to consider the context of the design and the needs of the user. By taking all of these factors into account, you can create designs that solve problems.
Some reconsiderations
I wrote the above blog with slight naivety. This only works if you already have a job or taking on freelance projects. But if you are searching for a job, at times you need that eye candy. You need to stand out from others. I guess then that becomes part of the problem to solve. If you stretch this for long enough, everyone will try to stand out. But this is a topic for another day.
