97 Things Every UX Practitioner Should Know

Chapter 73. Design Isn’t Just About the Happy Path

Drew Lepp

Optimism has the power to change the world, but an overly idealistic mindset can lead to poor decision-making, sometimes with disastrous results.

In 2012, I was a designer at an education start-up with a mission to teach financial literacy to students in the poorest and least resourced communities. At the time, there was tremendous optimism about how new technology such as iPads, Chromebooks, and digital education applications could radically level the playing field for students.

This positivity energized and pushed our team to create a product we believed would have a real impact for students. Unfortunately, it also created blind spots. There were a few places in which the worst-case scenario—excluding student access to educational materials—became a reality.

Had we asked ourselves “What’s the worst that can happen?” earlier, we could have prepared contingencies to prevent us from excluding the exact people we aimed to help.

Why Does This Matter?

Design isn’t just about the happy path; it’s about how to address possible issues from all angles. What are people more likely to remember: an effortless, easy-to-use experience or an unsatisfying, possibly damaging one?

By identifying both positive and negative outcomes early, you will be able to better design a product experience that is more adaptable to the wide-ranging ...