Aesthetics and Functionality: Beyond What Looks “Prettier”

Which of these designs is the best?

Notice that the question is which one is the best, not which one is the prettiest.

In my opinion, the one on the right is the most visually appealing. It makes great use of the image and integrates the functional elements seamlessly into the photo’s context.

But that doesn’t make it the best design.

Aesthetics vs. Scalability

I consider myself (modestly speaking) a good visual designer. But as a product designer, it’s important to know when functionality and scalability should take precedence over aesthetics — and also to be able to advocate for it.

The role of a product designer is to find the sweet spot where we can keep both visual aesthetics and functionality at a high level.

Why is the one on the left better?

The answer lies in two core premises of product design:

1.UGC (User-Generated Content)

When users are responsible for creating or uploading content within a feature, the reality changes.

In the example with the image, it works perfectly because it was designed by a designer. But if this feature were open to the public, any image could be uploaded — and in that case, the interactive elements could lose legibility, for example.

Without visibility of the product name and price

2.Design Resilience

Designing with resilience means creating interfaces that remain scalable and consistent even when facing unexpected inputs. These inputs can come from users, from other designers, or even from yourself at a different point in time.

It’s essentially about thinking of the interface as something elastic and adaptable, able to stay functional in different contexts and situations — even ones you didn’t anticipate.

In the example on the left, since the image is inside a container, it’s safeguarded against variability. It’s a dedicated space meant only to display the image, without mixing the functionality of placeholders for other buttons and titles.

This is a simple example of how some overly polished layouts we see in portfolios may not actually be practical.

With the same image, the elements preserve their functionality

Good design is not just about being the most beautiful or visually striking — it’s about staying functional, scalable, and resilient across different usage scenarios.

That ability to balance aesthetics with practicality is where product designers truly add value: creating experiences that not only impress at first glance, but also work consistently in everyday use.