Design. Iterate. Repeat.

Design is a process. The first draft should be only the beginning. It often hides potential. Edges are rough, ideas are half-formed, and details are still waiting to be uncovered. The best results appear only when you keep shaping. And shaping. And shaping.

Iteration is the secret. You start with a layout. Duplicate it. Make changes. Look at the two side by side. Which feels stronger? Which moves closer to your goal? Keep the winner and keep going.

Iteration takes the pressure off. You do not need to get it right the first time. You can push, pull, break, rebuild. If you like something, try changing it anyway. Sometimes the new version reveals possibilities you could not see before. And if it fails, you can always return to an earlier draft. Nothing is lost.

The truth is, design is not finished in a single step. It unfolds draft by draft, each one a little clearer than the last. What looks simple in the end is usually the outcome of many quiet iterations.

Modern tools make this process easier than ever. Duplicating takes seconds. You can spin off new versions, explore variations, and test directions without risk. Iteration does not slow you down. It is built into the way we work today.

And the mindset matters just as much as the tools. When you approach design as an iterative process, you stop obsessing over perfect outcomes and start paying attention to progress. Every version teaches you something. Every change, even the wrong ones, moves you forward.

Good design does not appear fully formed. It builds through steady changes, side-by-side comparisons, and careful refinements. Details matter, because every small adjustment shapes the final result. Each round of iteration sharpens the idea and brings it closer to what it needs to be. Iteration is not just a technique. It is the process that turns ideas into great results.

So for your next project, keep in mind the simple formula:

Design. Iterate. Repeat.

Read more