Designing with purpose: Why intent matters
Though invisible, intent is the foundation that gives meaning to your design.
In late 2016, Netflix introduced ‘video previews,’ a feature that auto-plays trailers while you browse. It sparked online rants as people felt Netflix was stealing their quiet browsing time.
Even a Star Wars director and media outlets like Polygon1 and Kotaku2 chimed in, with Reddit users finding hacks to bypass it3.
According to Netflix’s director of product innovation, the goal was to give more information and reduce browsing time. They wanted you watching, not scrolling4.
Netflix wasn't bothered by the criticism until early 2020 when they introduced a setting allowing people to turn autoplay off5. What took them so long to provide a remedy to the users?
Aren't they listening to the users? Is their UX simply bad?
I don’t think so.
They stood by their decision despite the uproar from users, simply because they believed in their intention—perhaps the reality in the data they have speaks differently.
For me, video previews weren’t an issue. I actually enjoy them—especially when it’s Joey saying ‘Je m’appelle Claude.’ It makes me want to rewatch the whole scene.
This isn’t about who is right or wrong, or which one is bad or good. It’s a matter of perspective. Netflix’s intention could be perceived as negative; they seem to want to seize your attention and overlook your sanity for the sake of their business. But I don’t want to go down that rabbit hole. What I want to highlight here is, that when you have clear intentions, you are resilient; you can explain to others why you think it is right to maintain your position, and you don’t rush into altering your design simply because someone else has expressed a differing viewpoint.
Let’s take a look at another example: Snapchat. If you are a Snapchat user or have ever tried it, what do you think of Snapchat’s user experience? Do you find it easy and fun to use, or did you have difficulties understanding the features and navigating? If you feel that way, then you are not alone. I, along with many people on the internet, have ranted about its bad UX6.
Have users left Snapchat and preferred something easier to use, like Instagram or TikTok?
Here are the numbers showing how Snapchat is still growing and going strong.
Snapchat has 383 Million Daily Active Users as per the latest figures. It is an increase of 51 million, or 15% year-over-year. snapchat+ (Snapchat's subscription service) has 3 million subscribers. Snapchat claims that advertisements on the platform can actively reach 634.8 million users.
Demand Sage7
The reason is Snapchat's unique and somewhat puzzling design actually helps it stay popular among its main users—teens and young adults. This unusual design is like a code that young people are willing to crack to be part of the trend and to stay connected with their friends. Plus, it’s pretty rare for teens to bump into their parents on Snapchat!
From these two products, we see that there’s no single path to ‘good’ design. What works for one audience might fail for another. So how do you navigate design decisions within your team?
Your intent helps others understand your design
When someone asks, ‘Why did you use an outlined button instead of a filled one?’ and you don’t have a solid answer, it shows a lack of clear intent. Without clear reasons, you might end up changing your design based on others’ opinions. This back-and-forth can waste time and lead to unfocused results.
Clearly articulating the intent behind your choices enhances the understanding of your design. Your reasons should make sense so that others can understand and support them.
Take a look at a little framework that I wrote about how to reinforce your design decisions with reason and evidence.
Align your intent with your team early, be more focused, and save time
Let’s say you’re adding a new feature to the home screen and want people to find it easily. But where should it go? The home screen is already full of different elements. Knowing what you want to achieve—or your intent—really helps at this point.
Before jumping into designing screens, you and your team can decide how important this new feature is compared to the others. Should people see it right away, or can it be placed lower on the screen? Maybe it’s so important that it needs to stand out. As you can see, there are many ways to design the new item. Without clear intent, you could end up exploring different options aimlessly. That’s why it’s crucial for you and your team to be intentional from the start.
When your team is clear on the intent, visualizing how the screen should look becomes much easier, ultimately speeding up the process.
How to nurture the practice of having intent in the design process
Having a clear intent should be part of every stage of the design process. It makes sure that every decision you make and every method you use has a purpose.
Earlier, I wrote about IBM’s Statement of Intent, which helps set a clear direction for projects by focusing on user needs instead of predetermined solutions. This flexible approach keeps your design efforts aligned with the desired outcome, while still allowing room for creative exploration.
When you start building out a wireframe, try using an “intent frame” to highlight the purpose behind each element. Instead of jumping straight into details like content or functionality, first consider why that element should be included.
Finally, no matter where you are in the process, reflect on every action and decision you make to make sure it aligns with your intent. Always ask yourself questions like:
For examples:
Why do you want to do usability testing? What doubts you? What do you want to learn?
Why do you use a switch component instead of a checkbox or radio button? What makes it more effective and efficient?
Why do you need to assemble your team and do co-creation together? Would it be different if you did it alone?
Pause.
Reflect.
Have a clear reason behind every choice.
Your design buddy,
Thomas
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