The littlest things can make a huge difference. I’ve seen A/B lab tests where a single wording change has transformed a participant’s understanding.

Those little tests are sometimes the greatest pleasure, a reminder that the details we pore over really do matter and given the time and resources, every product benefits from that level of care and attention.

But what I see too often is designers obsessing over the little things while they ignore the big problems. It’s the well worn adage of worrying about the garden shed while the house is on fire, but it happens all the time!

I’ve had long debates over toggles vs checkboxes, radio buttons vs dropdowns, rounded vs square corners, button ordering, keylines, synonyms. Sometimes these debates have rumbled on for weeks, while no-ones kept an eye on the glaring accessibility issue that just went live.

There are usability principles to follow and research to be done, but so many decisions are subjective and down to competing opinions. A worthwhile debate is good, but it too often shifts the focus away from solving - or even indentifying - the harder problems.

These days I try to stop myself and ask: Does it truly impact the user? Do our customers really care whether they use a radio button or dropdown? Maybe. If we have the time, let’s run a test, but in the meantime let’s channel all that energy into something more meaningful.