In the world of design, we’re told to strive for excellence — pixel-perfect mockups,
seamless user flows, and experiences that “delight.” But here’s a radical thought:
sometimes, /5 design is fine. Not every project needs to win awards or push boundaries.
Designers often chase perfection because it feels like our value depends on it.
We want our work to impress peers, clients, and followers alike. But perfection
takes time — and time is expensive. Most users don’t notice your 2px adjustments
or subtle motion tweaks. They just want to get something done.
“Mediocre” design, in the sense of functional but unpolished, isn’t laziness —
it’s prioritisation. Delivering a /5 design means focusing on what really matters:
solving the problem, meeting the deadline, leaving room for iteration. It’s design
as a living process, not a final statement.
The magic usually happens later — once something exists, once people touch it,
break it, complain about it. That’s when real insight starts to show up. The
sooner you release something imperfect, the sooner you get that feedback.
When you adopt the /5 mindset, you begin to see how much energy you used to waste
polishing edges that no one else noticed. You start moving faster. You become a
little more fearless. And, paradoxically, your work actually gets better — not
because you’re trying harder, but because you’re trying less.
At some point, you realise that the chase for perfect design isn’t about the user
at all — it’s about you. And when you let that go, your design finally starts
to breathe.
So maybe the real measure of a designer isn’t how close they get to perfection,
but how comfortable they are living short of it. The ones who can release something
unfinished, listen to the feedback, and return to it with fresh eyes are the ones
who build things that last.
Maybe /5 design isn’t mediocrity at all — maybe it’s honesty. It’s an honest
reflection of where things are today, with the quiet confidence that tomorrow
it can be better. Done for now, not forever.
