Iteration

What is Iteration in Design?

Iteration in Product Design – especially in UX/UI – is the process of designing, testing, learning, and continuously adjusting, with the goal of improving the product through small iterative cycles. Instead of trying to perfect everything from the start, the designer begins with the first version (prototype or wireframe), then collects real feedback from users, draws lessons, and improves the next version.

Origins and Fundamental Thinking

Iteration is foundational in methods like Design Thinking, Lean UX, and Agile. As Don Norman writes in The Design of Everyday Things, “Good design is design that can be gradually improved based on what we learn from users.”

Major platforms like Figma, Google’s Material Design, and IBM Design Language all encourage a repetitive, experimental, and step-by-step learning approach.

Practical Example:

You are designing the account creation interface for an English learning application.

• Iteration 1: You think you should use a form consisting of 5 steps, with one information field per step.

• Iteration 2: After usability testing, you realize that users find it time-consuming and complicated to go through multiple steps across many screens.

• Iteration 3: You switch to designing a single, simpler screen. Users interact faster and drop out less frequently.

That's a typical iteration cycle: generate an idea → test with users → learn and adjust.

Why is Iteration Important?

Because no one can be right the first time. Even the best designers, PMs, or developers cannot fully predict user behavior or expectations. Iteration allows us to:

• Identify and fix issues early.

• Accurately meet real user needs.

• Avoid wasting time and resources on flawed solutions.

• Accelerate the product launch process with "good enough" versions instead of "perfect" ones immediately.