When I bought my first iPhone back in 2007, I thought I was buying something to call people from. It’s almost comical to look back on it. My iPhone is so much more than a phone. It’s my camera, my shopping mall, my music player, my map, my brain.

Can you think of a time when you bought something for one reason, but ended up loving it for an entirely different reason?

This happens all the time with our UX design services. In a most recent blog, Erin talked about one common fallacy we see in product development.

Today, I’m covering another one.

The fallacy: A great designer will help you make your idea pretty.

This common misconception isn’t entirely wrong. Snopes.com would rate this one as Partially True.

For example, look at what clients have commented on in recent client reviews:

• “Their ability to listen, research, do competitive analysis, and deliver high-quality work is outstanding.”

• “Follow Slide UX’s process. Don’t think you know how to do it; let the experts drive the project, and don’t get in their way.”

• “They take time to understand our business and pain points they are working to address.”

This is how it always goes. Time and again, product leaders who reflect on the experience of working with great designers focus on so much more than a designer’s ability to make an idea pretty.

The real value of UX Design:

• Through facilitation, a great designer will uncover an organization’s needs and hopes.

• Through critical listening, they will question the information that’s presented to them and sharpen their team’s thinking.

• Through competitive analysis, they will shine a light on industry norms and opportunities for their clients to excel.

• Through user research, they will come to know the user and frame designs around users’ needs.

• Through experience, they will guide you through the activities that will make your product better than you had imagined.

Don’t get me wrong - a great designer may also make an interface pretty. But if they’re doing their job well, the main value is not in polishing the idea you brought to the table.

Steve Jobs is credited with saying, “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

Choosing the right design partner is important. You can always find a lower price, but don’t bargain yourself out of the true value. 

The flip phone is cheaper, if all you need is to make a call. But I never would have guessed how valuable the iPhone was going to be if I hadn’t made the investment.