You cannot design your way out of a broken process

Sometimes that helps.

But when the problem sits deeper than the surface, design can only take it so far.

I’ve seen this happen more times than I can count.

A processglossary×ProcessA process is a defined sequence of steps used to achieve a specific outcome.Open glossary term→ has been shaped over years. Different teams have added steps, compliance has introduced requirements, systemsglossary×SystemA system is a collection of interconnected components that work together to achieve a specific function or outcome.Open glossary term→ have dictated what’s possible, and gradually something relatively simple has become complicated.

By the time it reaches the user, it’s no longer a clean journeyglossary×Pain PointA specific problem or frustration users experience when trying to complete a task.Open glossary term→. It’s a reflection of everything that sits behind it.

That’s when design gets pulled in.

The expectation is usually the same. Make it feel simpler. Reduce frictionglossary×FrictionFriction refers to anything that slows users down or makes it harder for them to complete a task. It can be caused by poor design, unnecessary steps, unclear messaging, or technical issues.Open glossary term→. Improve conversionglossary×ConversionA conversion is any action a user takes that aligns with a defined goal, such as making a purchase, signing up, or completing a task.Open glossary term→.

And again, there are things you can do.

You can improve layoutglossary×LayoutLayout is the arrangement of elements on a page or screen, determining how content is organised and presented. It influences readability, usability, and overall experience.Open glossary term→ and hierarchyglossary×HierarchyHierarchy is the organisation of elements to show importance and guide user attention.Open glossary term→ so information is easier to understand.

You can guide users more clearly from one step to the next.

You can remove obvious points of confusion.

But if the underlying processglossary×ProcessA process is a defined sequence of steps used to achieve a specific outcome.Open glossary term→ is heavy, those improvements only go so far.

You’re still asking the user to do too much.

I saw this clearly working on digital journeysglossary×Pain PointA specific problem or frustration users experience when trying to complete a task.Open glossary term→ in banking, particularly with Co-op Bank.

There were flowsglossary×DelightMoments that exceed user expectations.Open glossary term→ where the complexity wasn’t coming from poor design decisions, it was coming from how the processglossary×ProcessA process is a defined sequence of steps used to achieve a specific outcome.Open glossary term→ itself had been defined. Multiple checks, duplicated inputs, steps that made sense internally but felt unnecessary from a customer’s point of view.

You could redesign those screens ten times over, but the experience would still feel harder than it needed to be because the processglossary×ProcessA process is a defined sequence of steps used to achieve a specific outcome.Open glossary term→ itself hadn’t changed.

A similar patternglossary×PatternA reusable solution to a common design problem.Open glossary term→ showed up in government work with the NHS.

Content and journeysglossary×Pain PointA specific problem or frustration users experience when trying to complete a task.Open glossary term→ had evolved independently across departments, each solving their own problems in isolation. Over time, that created layers of complexity that no amount of visual refinementglossary×RefinementRefinement is the process of preparing and clarifying backlog items before development.Open glossary term→ could fix.

The real work wasn’t redesigning pages. It was stepping back and asking why the processglossary×ProcessA process is a defined sequence of steps used to achieve a specific outcome.Open glossary term→ existed in that form, what could be removed, and how it could be restructured so it actually made sense from the outside.

That’s the part that often gets missed.

Design is used to compensate for complexity instead of removing it.

There’s an assumption that if something is presented clearly enough, users will work their way through it. Sometimes they do. Often they don’t.

Because clarityglossary×ClarityClarity is how easily users can understand what is happening and what they need to do.Open glossary term→ doesn’t reduce effort. It just makes the effort easier to understand.

The real shift happens when you stop looking at the interfaceglossary×InterfaceAn interface is the point of interaction between a user and a system, where inputs are made and outputs are received. It can be visual, physical, or conversational.Open glossary term→ and start looking at the processglossary×ProcessA process is a defined sequence of steps used to achieve a specific outcome.Open glossary term→.

Why are we asking for this information?

Do these steps need to exist in this order?

Are we solving this from the user’s point of view, or the organisation’s?

Those questions tend to uncover more than any design review ever will.

On a number of projects, the biggest improvements haven’t come from redesigning screens, they’ve come from removing steps entirely, combining actions, or changing how decisions are handled behind the scenes.

Shorter journeysglossary×Pain PointA specific problem or frustration users experience when trying to complete a task.Open glossary term→.

Fewer inputs.

Less back and forth.

Once that’s done, the design almost takes care of itself.

That’s where UX has the most impact.

Not in how something looks, but in how it works.

Because if the processglossary×ProcessA process is a defined sequence of steps used to achieve a specific outcome.Open glossary term→ is broken, design can only mask it for so long.

At some point, the user still feels it.

And when they do, they leave.