Role of Ideas in Design

When we generate ideas, the first ones that come to mind are shaped by our subconscious understanding of information. These ideas emerge from past experiences, mental models, and how we interpret the world.

Some believe that designers simply have ideas and immediately turn them into solutions—but that’s a misconception.

Design isn’t just about having ideas; it’s about refining them.

While our subconscious can provide quick insights, truly effective decisions come from conscious cognition—a deliberate process of reasoning and deep understanding.

Subconscious vs. Conscious Thinking in Design

Subconscious cognition helps us react instantly based on what we’ve experienced before.

It allows us to navigate familiar situations without much thought. People rely on this instant thinking to make decisions, assuming what worked before will work again.

But this is only surface-level understanding. If someone isn’t an expert in creating tools or systems, their decisions are based on quick assumptions rather than a deep understanding of how they works.

The less someone knows about something, the easier it is to make decisions—because they don’t see the problems, connections and different scenarios. Their brain simply hasn’t encountered those challenges before, so it reacts based on familiarity rather than informed reasoning.

A Book and Subconscious Expectations

Take, for example, a book.

If you see a book with a plain cover, you still recognize it as a book. You expect that inside, there will be words arranged in a familiar way—even before you open it. However, how you expect those words to be structured depends on where you’re from.

If you’re from Europe, you naturally assume the text will start from the top left and flow left to right. Your eyes instinctively focus on the top left corner when you open the book. 

These subconscious reactions are shaped by past experiences.

Now, imagine a book designed by someone unfamiliar with different reading pattern - Does not know about that. If a European reader opens a book formatted for to a different reading direction, they might feel lost. And even say, “I don’t know how to read this,” but the issue isn’t their ability to read.

The same principle applies to interface design. If users can’t interact with a product in the way they expect, it doesn’t mean they lack ability—it simply means the pattern doesn’t match their model.

When we assume our way of perceiving information is universal, we risk creating experiences that ignore different backgrounds.

The Risk of Designing on Autopilot

If we design purely based on intuition—without reflection or validation—we risk creating something that makes sense to us but not to others.

Think about how we create something, then use it, and only afterward realize it doesn’t work as expected. Only at that point do we start questioning: Why is this happening? How can I do it differently?

Framed Family Photos

Let’s imagine a set of framed family photos hanging on wallpapered walls. One day, you’re moving to a new home with more space, and it’s time to take the pictures down. You start removing them one by one—the first picture, then the second. It’s an easy task; you just grab the frame and pull it off the wall.

Then, you remove the third picture—and suddenly, part of the wallpaper comes off with it. You’re shocked. Only now do you realize that this particular picture was attached differently, using glue instead of a hook. As you look around, you notice a few more frames that were secured the same way.

This didn’t happen because you weren’t paying attention or because you weren’t smart—it happened because your past experience never prepared you for this scenario.

Testing Prototypes

This is exactly why prototyping is so valuable: it helps bridge the gap between assumptions and reality.

Instead of relying purely on subconscious reactions, we should take time to analyze the details, understand different perspectives, and anticipate potential challenges before they happen.

And this is a skill, one that UX methods focus on developing.

It’s about shifting from subconscious reactions to conscious decision-making—a process of reasoning and deep understanding.

Understanding Different Perspectives

Since people have unique mental models, expectations and experiences gathering diverse perspectives is crucial.

We can ask stakeholders how they perceive and expect a system to work. We can engage developers to understand technical constraints. By synthesizing these inputs, we gain a broader understanding of potential roadblocks and hidden complexities.

This deeper level of analysis leads to more intentional decision-making.

But even with thorough research and reasoning, testing remains essential. No matter how much we refine a concept, we can only validate its success through real user interactions.

Conclusion

Design isn’t about coming up with quick ideas and immediately executing them.

It’s a process of continuous learning, refining, and testing.

Our subconscious may provide initial sparks of inspiration, but great design comes from conscious thought, analysis, and validation.