Keep Your Mind Open…and Your Toolbox
Hey, friends and fellow humans!
Let’s talk about toolkits—and the importance of letting go of them.
TL;DR: Cultivate your toolkit, including your mental one, but avoid getting too attached to any specific tool or set of tools. Staying adaptable will help you navigate whatever situation comes your way.
This morning, I came across a deceptively simple yet thought-provoking post in the User Experience & Design Thinkers group. In it, designer Muhammad Husnain asked a fantastic question:
The variety of interpretations and responses was fascinating. Most answers leaned towards “Grid,” with justifications like “it’s the only way for the design to be accurate/aligned/make sense to developers/etc.” Some chose “Both,” while a smaller number (myself included) said “No grid.” Technically, I’m in the “Both” camp, but I prefer to work without a grid. I find it distracting how the grids in Figma lay over the layers, though I’ll turn them on occasionally to ensure everything is lined up properly.
What really stood out to me was how strongly we, as designers, can identify with and label ourselves based on our tools and processes. Some of the comments suggested that these designers use grid layouts for every single project—no exceptions.
Maybe it’s just my “Neutral Good” personality coming through, but I’m always looking for situations where conventional wisdom or a “rule” is meant to be bent, or even ignored. Thinking this way has helped me stay flexible and find alternative solutions when needed.
On a deeper level, my views on this are influenced by Zen and Buddhism (which won’t surprise you if you know me). One of the core teachings of Buddhism is the concept of letting go of attachments—though this is often misunderstood.
As my favorite philosopher, the late Alan Watts, described:
"Attachment doesn’t mean that you enjoy your dinner, or that you enjoy sleeping, or beauty. Those are responses of our organism in its environment as natural as feeling hot near a fire or cold near ice. So are certain responses of fear, or of sorrow. They are not attachment.
Attachment is exactly translated by the modern slang term ‘hang-up.’ It’s a kind of stickiness, or what in psychology would be called blocking. When you are in a state of wobbly hesitation, not knowing how to flow on, that’s attachment; what is meant by the Sanskrit word kleśa."
Attachment, then, means clinging to something—whether it’s an identity, a tool, or a specific way of doing things. It’s when you feel that letting go will lead to discomfort or uncertainty.
In UX and product design, we rely on certain processes and methodologies because they’ve proven effective. I’m not challenging their value (and to be crystal clear, I’m not down-talking designers who have tools that they swear by); rather, I’m suggesting that it’s beneficial to remain open to using a range of tools and to develop new ones. That way, we can adapt to the needs of any given situation.
Grids, for example, are incredibly helpful—but they’re just one tool among many. Not every tool is useful in every situation. When we rely on a single tool for every project, we risk narrowing our perspective and limiting the potential of our work. The same goes for Figma (even though, like many, I consider it the best, most comprehensive tool available right now). Figma’s versatility—supporting whiteboarding, wireframing, prototyping, UI design, user flows, journey mapping, and more—is precisely why it’s so valuable. But even with such a powerful tool, it’s crucial to stay well-rounded and open to new possibilities.
So, my question to you is:
What unexpected tools have you discovered that help you maintain flexibility in your work?