The biggest traps Designers fall into

#1 Falling in love with your own idea

This is one of the biggest traps I see designers fall into:

The idea of artists and designers "falling in love with their own idea" refers to the common trap where someone becomes emotionally attached to their initial concept — so much so that they ignore evidence that it's not effective, not solving the problem, or not resonating with users. This is ego-driven attachment disguised as "vision."

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It often shows up as:

Dismissing user feedback because “they don’t get it.”

Tweaking endlessly instead of pivoting.

Ignoring data that contradicts their assumptions.

Making things more about aesthetic or cleverness than function or clarity.

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How to Recognize It

You feel defensive when someone critiques the idea.

You spend more time justifying it than improving it.

You're solving for your ego, not your audience.

You haven’t tested alternatives, but you’ve convinced yourself this is “the one.”

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How to Avoid It

Validate early. Share work before you’re emotionally invested.

Test alternatives. Force yourself to try at least 2–3 other directions.

Detach from outcome. Care more about solving the problem than being right.

Revisit the brief. Ask: Is this actually serving the goal or just serving my taste?

Bring in outsiders. Feedback from people not emotionally invested is gold.

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Recognising how to avoid falling in love with your own solution or design, is what separates a pro from a stubborn amateur.

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#2 Listening to user feedback about what they think other people might think

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This is one of the sneakiest types of noise that shows up in user testing:

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Participants often make comments like:

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“Older people wouldn’t be able to read this.”
“This colour scheme might not appeal to everyone.”
“Someone from another country might misunderstand this part.”

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They’re not actually giving you their own reaction — they’re guessing at what other people might think. This kind of secondhand feedback might feel insightful, but it’s unreliable. It’s speculation, not data.

People are terrible at predicting how other people will respond. And when you act on it, you risk solving fake problems.

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How to Recognize It

• The sentence starts with “people might think...” or “some users may feel...”
• They don’t express their own confusion or dislike, just imagined ones.
• They seem confident about others’ views without evidence.
• They haven’t actually struggled with the issue themselves.
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How to Handle It

• Gently ask: “How do you personally feel about it?”
• Redirect: “Did that confuse you?” or “Would you use it as it is?”
• Don’t log it as a usability issue unless they show personal friction.
• If the point comes up repeatedly across participants, investigate. But verify with real data.

Getting distracted by proxy feedback is a fast way to dilute your product.
Design for the person in front of you, not the ghosts they imagine.