Between Systems and Instinct

Between Systems and Instinct

A blank Figma board. A non-profit project. No real budget, barely a brief. And yet, you feel the responsibility. Not just for the result, but for the process. You want to create something that makes sense – not just something pretty. But what does that even mean in the moment? I know these moments when structure is missing and your mind gets too loud. No clear guidelines, no grid, no rules – just a vague goal and a lot of expectations in the room. All that’s left: instinct.

When the brief fails, instinct becomes the tool

It's this quiet filter you develop over time. No shortcut, no checklist. Just an internal echo saying: "This doesn’t feel right yet." Or: "There’s something here already." In these moments, intuition isn't the opposite of structure – it’s what allows structure to emerge.

Design systems help – but they don’t feel

Once a project is up, I love order. Design systems. Naming logic. Variables. I'm a fan of working with systems. And yes, AI helps me prototype faster and build cleaner foundations. But systems don't listen. They respond without understanding what was meant. Especially with subtle tasks – like a typographic rebrand or an icon style that needs to feel "real" – structure alone can’t sense anything.

"Looks good" isn’t enough

We all know them: projects where "pretty" is the goal. Or clients giving feedback like "I like it" or "feels kind of empty." But what does that even mean? And how do you respond? Here, intuition kicks back in. It tells us whether we’re trying too hard. Or missing something we can’t quite name yet. I’ve often found that reduction is hard. That it takes guts to present something with no effects, no creative gimmicks. A logo that’s purely typographic can’t hide behind tricks. It has to feel right on its own. And that’s often harder than it looks.

Our actual job: to hold the in-between

I don’t believe designers are here to get everything right. We’re here to hold tension. To not decide too early. To stand deliberately in that in-between space: between gut and system, between "works" and "doesn’t work", between what we show and what others see. And yes, sometimes it’s frustrating. Especially when things need to go fast, when there’s little info and too many tools – but none really help. All that’s left is discomfort. But maybe that’s actually our best tool. We’re not alone in this. Many designers know this tension. And maybe that’s not a flaw, but the beginning of something. Not a new method. But more trust in what lies between them.