This article was automatically translated from the original Turkish version.
In a design process, the most difficult question is usually this:
Who am I designing this for?
For the user?
Or because I want to communicate something?
Design is often described as a practice of solving problems. But in reality, design is a matter of choice. The moment we decide what to center, the direction of design changes.
User-centered design has become nearly a norm in recent years. Building empathy, analyzing user experience, gathering feedback—especially in the digital world, this approach seems unavoidable.
Consider the dark mode on our phones. This choice is not an aesthetic decision; it is a consequence of user behavior. Eye fatigue, nighttime usage, screen comfort—here, design is listening to the user.
Spotify’s permanent shift to a dark mode interface or Netflix’s refusal to offer a light mode illustrates how user habits shape design decisions. The power of this approach is clear: users feel understood. The design is embraced. The product continues to be used.
But here lies a small question: Does the user always want what is right?
Sometimes design is not made merely to comfort the user. Sometimes design expresses a stance. When a brand chooses sustainable production, costs may rise and user habits may be challenged. But here the purpose is greater.
When a product chooses not to harm the environment, it prioritizes long-term value over short-term comfort. Tesla’s electric vehicles or brands using eco-friendly materials do not act solely based on “user satisfaction.” They take a direction.
But this also carries another risk: a design that ignores the user may face resistance.
In fact, design moves between these two extremes. It neither fully submits to the user nor imposes its own purpose. The true designer listens to the user but also points the way. They offer comfort while simultaneously creating meaning. Design sometimes follows the user and sometimes transforms them.
Perhaps the real question is this: Is design meant only to generate satisfaction, or to generate value? For me, the answer is this: Good design centers the user but never forgets a greater purpose.
Because design is not merely about making something. It is about saying something.
