I once designed what I thought was my best UI work ever: elegant, on-brand, pixel-perfect. We launched—and nothing happened. Engagement was flat. Conversions were lower than the client’s older, uglier site.

What went wrong? I’d designed in a vacuum. I prioritized aesthetics over user intent. The new visuals distracted from the product’s value prop, and important CTAs got lost in the polish.

We went back, conducted usability tests, and brought clarity back to the surface. The updated version was less “dribbble-worthy” but way more usable—and it worked.

Insight: Beautiful design that doesn’t convert isn’t beautiful. It's decoration. Good design needs to perform, not just look good.