I distinctly recall an event many years ago, when I was a bagger at a grocery store. For me it was my first job. Just something to earn money. I didn’t even have a drivers license. One day, a child sitting in a cart began to ask me, “Why?” The inquisitive child had their ulterior motives, but it got me thinking. “Why do I put groceries in a bag?” My response in the moment was, “So you can carry them.” But, looking back on that time, I could easily find much better answers.

Why?
Why do we put things into bags, and boxes? Well, it works. And, we’ve done it that way for a long time. But is it the best way? Is there another way to transport things? The question of why is a very important, and is often dismissed, or completely ignored. Everything that I do as a designer I should ask, “Why?” Why did I put that button there? Why is the link styled that way? Why do I left-align the text? These are all great questions, and they have their place. As designers begin to ask these questions, we can stumble upon answers that can bring about innovation.

Conclusion
For me that pesky child was just an interference at the time. Now, he helps me realize that his questions are valid. We should always question what we do as designers. Maybe there’s a better way. Maybe you could spark we revolution.