I can’t remember the exact date, but I’ll never forget the class. It was Visual Language, a course that’s basically a boot camp for your design instincts. That day flipped a switch for me. During a critique, the professor looked at my screen and dropped a line that still echoes every time I open Figma:
“If something is, let it be.”
At first, I thought she was referring to a line in my layout: thin, gray, and basically invisible. But over time, I realized she meant something way bigger:
If you’re adding an element—a line, shape, color, button—make sure it really exists.
If it doesn’t need to be there, delete it.
And if it stays, it should have presence and purpose.
UX Design Isn’t Decoration—It’s Direction
In UI/UX, this principle shows up all the time:
- Buttons that look like plain text and don’t scream “click me.”
- Type hierarchies that don’t create hierarchy.
- Icons that seem to float in space, unsure of themselves.
- Subtle microinteractions that users miss entirely.
The result? Interfaces that don’t communicate, don’t guide, and don’t invite action. Visual language is a language. And like any language, it needs clarity, emphasis, and intention.
If it’s a button, make it look like a button.
If it’s a headline, give it headline weight.
If a line divides content, let it truly divide.
If something is active, let it feel active.
This isn’t about going overboard or making things loud for the sake of it—it’s about making confident visual decisions. Using design with conviction.
A Little Bauhaus Wisdom: Josef Albers and Visual Honesty
This whole “if it is, let it be” idea? It’s got Bauhaus roots. That school lived for clarity and functionality. Josef Albers, one of its masters, believed every element should serve a clear purpose and express itself honestly.
His color and form experiments weren’t about flair—they were about making sure everything on the canvas had a job, and did it well. According to Albers:
- A line should be bold and authentic.
- A block of color should leave no room for confusion.
- Visual ambiguity was the enemy of communication.
This mindset works just as well for an app interface as it does in a gallery: clarity makes things easier, smoother, and more human to interact with.
Design Is Taking a Stand
Great design doesn’t waffle. It’s focused. It has rhythm. It knows when to highlight something and when to fade it into the background—and those are deliberate choices, not accidents.
Every time I start a new project, I ask myself:
Is this here for a reason?
Can you tell it’s here?
Or is it just lurking, unsure if it belongs?
Because if something is, it should be.
And if not—scrap it.
Design is about committing—with every line, button, and color choice. Visual clarity isn’t just good UX, it’s how you let the content and the function shine without distractions.
Side note: That “if it is, let it be” motto? It’s not just a design rule—it’s solid life advice. When you show up, do it all the way.
