the 5 levels of design originality 🪜


Welcome back. My long-awaited course "Making UX Decisions" is finally available for pre-sale - get $100 off until this Thursday (this slick landing page is built in Framer), so I'm celebrating by sharing one of my favorite chapters with you today.

I'm writing this from THiS24 (UserTesting Human Insights Summit) where I'm already filling pages of notes to share with you.

You can catch me on this week's Honest UX Talks podcast where we get into some spicy takes about the state of design in 2024. And I'm running on plenty of coffee as we wrap up this year's UX Tools Survey – the amount of moving parts is wild but the insights are going to be worth it.

—Tommy (@DesignerTom)


The Wireframe:

  • My framework for deciding when to innovate
  • The five levels of design originality
  • When copying is actually the right answer

How I Decide When to Innovate

Here's a truth that took me years to accept: Not every design needs to be innovative. In fact, sometimes pursuing true innovation can actually harm your product's success.

Plus, many designers approach innovation backwards. They start with "how can we do something different?" when they should be asking "do we need to do something different?"

Here's my framework for making this decision →

1. Evaluate Market Position

  • Are you competing on features or experience?
  • Do users expect innovation or reliability?
  • Could a novel approach be a genuine differentiator?

2. Assess Risk vs. Clarity

  • How clear is the problem?
  • How expensive would failure be?
  • How much time do you have?

3. Consider User Cost

  • Will users need to learn something new?
  • What's the cognitive load of innovation?
  • Is the payoff worth the learning curve?

The answers to these questions map directly to which level of innovation you should pursue. Let's break those levels down.

The 5 Levels of Design Originality

Think of design originality like a spectrum.

On one end, you have direct copies (Level 1). On the other, you have true innovation (Level 5). Most designs fall somewhere in between, and that's perfectly fine.

Note: This is from a module of my newly released course Making UX Decisions - it's on pre-sale for $100 off right now.

1. Direct Copies (Level 1)

Just straight-up copying what works. And yes, sometimes this is exactly what you should do. Perfect for standard elements that shouldn't be reinvented.

  • Best for: Standard elements, rapid prototyping
  • Example: Using a standard dropdown menu

2. Remixes (Level 2)

Combining proven solutions in new ways. This is where most good design happens - and there's no shame in that.

  • Best for: Creating familiar but enhanced experiences
  • Example: Combining social media tagging with traditional folder structures

3. Indirect Parallels (Level 3)

Borrowing ideas from other domains. Like using Spotify's playlist paradigm for managing documents.

  • Best for: Fresh perspectives on familiar problems
  • Example: Applying library cataloging principles to digital content management

4. Metaphors & Analogies (Level 4)

Using familiar concepts to explain new ones. Think "desktop" for computer interfaces.

  • Best for: Making abstract concepts tangible
  • Example: "Garden" metaphor for content growth and curation

5. True Innovation (Level 5

Creating entirely new patterns. Rare, risky, and usually unnecessary (but profound when successful).

  • Best for: Addressing unmet needs or new possibilities
  • Example: Novel AI-driven interface patterns

The bottom line: Most of us operate within levels 2 through 4—and that's perfectly fine. Aim for originality, but don't be afraid to learn from the past. Embrace the remix and adapt ideas from outside your domain. Focus on solving problems rather than being 100% original.

When Copying is Actually the Right Answer

I want to address the most misunderstood part of the spectrum: Copying. Copying isn't just okay - sometimes it's optimal.

When should you copy?

  • Standard features (login, settings, basic CRUD)
  • Time-sensitive projects
  • Market parity features
  • Low-risk components
  • When users expect familiarity

Remember: Your job is to create value, not win design awards. Sometimes that means swallowing your ego and copying what works.


Together with Sidebar​

Tech Leaders: Networking is Dead

Sidebar is where you finally find the community of vetted high-performers who will help you thrive. It’s where you gain the knowledge to unlock the next level in your career.

Build connections + network. Meet new people, expand your professional circle, and interact with peers outside your workplace.

Sidebar is a curated, diverse, supportive, and growth-oriented community. A staggering 93% of users say Sidebar has been a game changer in their careers.

Sign up today and get insights tomorrow.

​Elevate Your Career​

​

Ask DesignerTom: When is true innovation worth pursuing?

Question: "How do you know when it's worth pursuing true innovation versus staying with more proven approaches?" —Marcus K.

Answer: In my experience, true innovation is worth pursuing when three conditions align:

  1. Existing solutions are genuinely inadequate
  2. You have resources to support extensive R&D
  3. Users are willing to learn new paradigms

If any of these are missing, you're likely better off working within levels 1-4 and finding creative ways to remix or adapt existing solutions.

Remember: The goal isn't to be innovative for the sake of innovating—it's to solve problems effectively.

See you next week,

Tommy


Thanks for reading! What's your favorite tool for organizing info? Hit reply and let me know.

Enjoying this newsletter? Let us know here.

UX Tools

Practical lessons, resources, and news for the UX/UI community. Learn the real-world skills, methods, and tools that help you build user-first experiences. We make resources like practical tutorials, the Design Tools Survey, the Design Tools Database, and UX Challenges. Join 60k+ other designers and sign up for the newsletter to get product design mastery in just 5 minutes a week.

Read more from UX Tools

Welcome back. I can't get the new Rosé + Bruno Mars song out of my head - and it really makes me wonder: how are some creative people able to produce banger after banger? Next year, I'm going to explore this concept of "taste" in a mini-docuseries on YouTube. Stay tuned for that. —Tommy (@DesignerTom) The Wireframe: Why designers need to be better scouts My 3-step framework for gathering real intel The chain of command for weighing information How to Actually Gather Information That Mattrs...

Welcome back. We're seeing the early signs of a seismic shift in the product design landscape, and it's time we talk about it. The industry is approaching what I'm calling a "hard reset," and it's affecting everything from job titles to the tools we use. Let's dive in. P.S. Grab our free 8-part video course to learn how to make sense of information problems like a pro. —Tommy (@DesignerTom) The Wireframe: The crisis of job titles (and what it means for you) How new tools are reshaping our...

Welcome back. Last week, tech creator MKBHD dropped his first app—and the internet went wild. Panels, a $12/month wallpaper subscription, had designers everywhere raising eyebrows. My take? MKBHD isn't out here claiming to reinvent the wheel—he's a top-tier consumer advocate who decided to build something. This app? It's what happens when we spend too much time thinking about product instead of shipping it...something designers certainly aren't immune to. So cut the criticism and chew on...