As designers, there’s almost always a reason why we design something the way we did. We make it look pretty, well thought out and innovative. However, we can’t control how the end user actually interacts with our design, can we? Sometimes, end users come up with a whole new way to use our designs that we may never have even considered!
The end user will usually find the shortest distance between two points like in this literal example of a nicely designed 90 degree angle sidewalk at a park. The designer took into consideration the pathway, the proximity to the edge of the park, the choice of stones and the pattern they’re laid out on, the raised curb, the location of the street light, etc. The end users clearly found their own way and literally forged their own path.
Designers, remember, in most cases, you need to design for the end user, not for yourself!