As a less experienced designer, you might recognize the urge to make every detail perfect. The feeling that everything must be spot-on, down to the smallest nuances, is tempting and can sometimes feel like a requirement for success. But ask yourself this: What if the very pursuit of perfection and the ‘ultimate’ design could actually slow down your growth? You are not Picasso and you don't have to be.
Over the years, as the founder of one of the largest advertising agencies in the Netherlands, I have collaborated with hundreds of designers from around the world, from juniors to seniors. What I often see is that the most successful creatives are not those who endlessly tinker with details, but those who know when to let go. They understand that design is more than just chasing perfection. It’s about finding the balance between the bigger picture and the details and making smart choices that propel you forward.
I invite you to reflect on how you use your energy, what drives you, and how you can learn to choose progress instead of getting stuck in the details. Perhaps you already recognize yourself in what I’m describing, or maybe this offers new perspectives.
The Detail Trap for Designers
There’s something you might recognize as a beginner designer: you become completely tangled in a single detail that you believe is crucial for the success of your design. Maybe it’s deciding whether that photo should be on the left or right side of the page, or you’re struggling with choosing between a white, black, or red background. Or is it that one font or the other? For you, it feels like this decision can make the difference between a good design and a masterpiece. This detail seems so essential that it demands all your attention and can even occupy you for days.
It’s very human to get caught up in these kinds of decisions. As designers, we want to bring out the best in ourselves and show that we have mastered every aspect, even if it’s just for ourselves. But here lies a danger: what feels like a crucial choice to you is often just a detail that barely affects how the ‘user’ will experience the design.
The client or end-user usually doesn’t notice if the photo is on the left or right or if the background is red or black. What feels like an essential part of the design to you is often just a matter of taste or a nuance that has little impact on the message or usability.
Here are two scenarios:
Imagine you’re working on a brochure and keep doubting where to place an image. You endlessly consider whether the photo should be on the left so that the text stands out better on the right, or vice versa. But in many cases, this choice hardly makes a difference to the readability or visual balance, especially not in the eyes of the end-user.
Or maybe you’re working on a campaign and spend hours agonizing over the background color of a page: white feels safe and clear, black gives power and depth, and red grabs attention. But instead of endlessly weighing your options, it’s better to ask yourself which choice best aligns with the goal of the message. Ultimately, the key question is not which color is the most beautiful, but which color best supports the story.
The problem with lingering over these kinds of details is that you waste energy on decisions that only determine a fraction of the overall impact. While you’re worrying about the perfect positioning or color, you lose focus on what truly matters: the message, coherence, user experience, and the role of the project within a larger scope. Experienced designers understand that it’s important to look beyond the details that might seem personally significant but, in reality, have little impact on the whole.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention to details, but it requires wisdom to know where your energy has the most effect. A good way to approach this is to at least ask yourself:
Which choice contributes most to the higher goal of the design?
Does the client or user truly benefit from this decision, or is it primarily something that feels important to me as a designer?
What role does my project play in the bigger picture, and how much difference do my choices make in this larger context?
This can help you let go of the seemingly "essential" details and create space for equally powerful, yet effective design.
Time as Your Greatest Ally as a Designer
The Magic of Time: Why the Best Designs Arise Through Evolution
As a less experienced designer, you have a clear picture of how a design should look and strive to realize your vision as well as possible. But what you quickly discover in a professional environment is that design is rarely an individual expression. You are not Picasso or Van Gogh, free to put your stamp on something without considering the wishes and interests of others. Instead, design is about finding the right balance between creative freedom and working within certain boundaries.
Whether you’re a junior designer or already an art director, the urge to make your mark can sometimes be more of an obstacle than it is a space for innovation. By being open to the input of others and collaborating within clear frameworks, there is often more room for renewal. It’s not just about your vision, but about how that vision comes together with the ideas of colleagues, external parties, clients, and other stakeholders. The ability to be creative within those boundaries and to manage your time wisely makes you a better designer.
This requires flexibility and a willingness to compromise. It doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your creativity entirely, but you do need to learn when to let go and when to hold on. Sometimes you have to accept that certain choices, like a color or layout, don’t fully align with your personal preferences but are best for the overall project. This process of give and take ensures that the design becomes stronger and that there’s still room for innovation within the set boundaries. Usually, when a design evolves, it naturally improves. Let it go for a bit and see what happens over time.
The challenge lies in finding freedom within constraints, and time is a key factor here. By not trying to make everything perfect right away, but instead allowing an organic process where ideas can mature and evolve, a stronger end result often emerges. Innovation doesn’t come from clinging tightly to your own vision but rather from collaborating, compromising, and trusting in the power of the process and the evolution of the design.
The ability to be innovative within limitations distinguishes a good designer from an excellent one. By learning how to be creative within the constraints of time, budget, and collaboration, you not only contribute to better designs but also foster a culture where innovation and growth are central.
Not Every Design is a Picasso: Learning to Prioritize in Design
Design is about making choices. That sounds simple, but it can create tension within teams, especially when one designer’s vision clashes with another’s, or when external parties are involved. If you, as a young designer, are used to seeing every detail as crucial, it can be difficult to let go of that mindset.
This becomes especially challenging when working with external designers or freelancers who also have their own methods and ideas, or when you are responsible for leading a team as an art director.
In a team environment—whether you’re a colleague, a leader, or an external party—getting stuck in details can be frustrating not only for yourself but also for others. Too much time is spent on small nuances that you make critically important to everyone working on the project simply because you see them that way, even though they make little to no difference in the bigger picture.
This can lead to frustration among team members who want to move forward and feel held back because too much time is wasted on details and changes that contribute little to the overall success. For external designers in particular, it can be demotivating to see their proposals endlessly adjusted or rejected for reasons they see as trivial.
As an art director, it’s your job to facilitate compromises and set priorities without stifling the creative process. This means being able to let go where needed so that your team or external designers feel free to contribute without feeling that every detail is endlessly up for debate. That flexibility creates an environment where innovation can thrive and everyone feels heard while still maintaining progress.
Moreover, it’s important to realize that not every project needs to be a “Picasso.” Not every design is intended to be a timeless masterpiece. Often, it’s about finding the right balance between quality and efficiency. By emphasizing the elements that truly make a difference and putting less energy into details that contribute little to the final success, you ensure that the entire team functions better.
The essence of flexible design is understanding that compromise and collaboration lead to more creative solutions. It is in finding this balance that you grow as a designer and learn how to achieve the best results together with others. This ensures that projects don’t get bogged down in endless discussions but actually move forward and make an impact.
More Roads to Rome: Why You Sometimes Don’t Need to Find Your Own Way
Perfectionism can trap you in an endless cycle of self-criticism and dissatisfaction. When you’re unable to let go, it becomes nearly impossible to feel truly proud of your work, even if others are. That constant focus on what could have been better makes it so that you’re never satisfied with what you’ve accomplished. This mental pattern can have serious consequences in the long run. I’ve seen talented designers lose interest in design simply because they never felt their work was good enough.
Not being able to let go has a cumulative effect. What starts as a constant need to perfect every detail can eventually lead to a situation where you no longer enjoy your work at all. You lose the ability to take satisfaction in the creative process, and every new project feels like a new source of stress rather than inspiration. This can result in a reduced interest in design and even burnout because the mental pressure you put on yourself becomes increasingly heavy.
That’s why it’s essential to learn when to let go. Letting go does not—again—mean lowering your standards, but it means accepting that perfection is not the end goal. It’s the art of being satisfied with what you’ve achieved, even if it’s not exactly how you envisioned it. It helps you create mental space, allowing you to continue working with more energy and enthusiasm in the long run. By letting go, you can enjoy your growth as a designer and your effective contribution to the bigger picture instead of constantly being frustrated over what’s not perfect.
The effect of letting go is noticeable not only in your work but also in how you view yourself. Designers who learn to release this mental pressure often experience more satisfaction and renewed interest in their profession. They discover that there’s room to experiment and make mistakes without it affecting their self-worth. This freedom leads not only to better designs but also to more joy and creativity in their work.
On the other hand, when you remain stuck in perfectionism and don’t learn to let go, you often see that the passion for the craft slowly fades. What was once a source of inspiration and challenge turns into an obligation you dread. This is a trap I’ve seen many times over the years among designers who burn themselves out due to their own high standards. Their love for design fades, and the work becomes a source of frustration instead of a creative outlet.
The power of letting go is that it allows you to appreciate the bigger picture and look back with pride on what you’ve accomplished, despite the imperfections. It gives you the mental space to take on new challenges with a fresh perspective and to enjoy the creative process without getting lost in endless details. By finding this balance, you ensure that you not only grow as a designer but also continue to enjoy your work in the long term.
In Conclusion: How to Find Satisfaction and Growth as a Designer
The feeling of never being completely satisfied with what you create often stems from perfectionism and the tendency to constantly focus on what could have been better. During the creative process, it’s highly valuable to be critical and focus your attention on improvements, even down to the smallest details. This pursuit of perfection can lead to exceptional work.
But once a project is completed, it’s crucial to shift your focus from the imperfections to the bigger picture and what has been achieved. Whatever you focus on grows. If you continue to dwell on what isn’t quite right, even after completion, this pattern becomes ingrained in your ‘system,’ preventing you from ever truly being proud of your work in the long run. This can lead to a vicious cycle of self-criticism and dissatisfaction, trapping you as a designer in a cycle of frustration and even burnout.
The art is to consciously choose a different focus after completion: shift your attention to the bigger picture and the contribution your work makes to the whole. By taking a moment after each project to acknowledge what you’ve achieved and ‘celebrate’ it, you can experience satisfaction and happiness. This is essential for keeping the passion for your craft alive and maintaining your energy levels. Many designers become discouraged because they remain focused on the imperfections and forget to appreciate the end result as a whole. As a result, they lose the joy in their work and see each new project more as a source of stress than as an opportunity for creativity.
It’s important to realize that perfectionism is not the same as delivering quality. The real value of a project lies in how it contributes to the bigger picture. By finding this balance—striving for refinement during the process and shifting your focus after completion to what went well—you not only grow as a designer but also continue to derive pleasure and satisfaction from your work in the long term.
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