Not all design problems are equal. Fix the ones that invalidate the rest.
One of the hardest skills in design is knowing what to fix first.
Some problems render everything else meaningless. If text can’t be read, nothing else matters. If the order is illogical, polish is wasted. If accessibility fails, the design excludes by default.
These foundational decisions unlock all others. Until they’re resolved, refinement is premature.
This is why polishing early is often a mistake. You need to see everything together — all the relationships — before you know what should be removed, and what deserves emphasis.
Good designers don’t rush to improve everything.
They identify the few decisions that matter most — and start there.