Good design is invisible — but most products I use daily seem designed to be noticed, and not in a good way. The constant pop-ups, cluttered dashboards, and autoplay videos on news sites feel like deliberate friction, not thoughtful UX. For every well-crafted app like Signal or Basecamp, there are ten that bury the core function behind ads and account walls. So here's the real question: should designers prioritize user control and minimalism over engagement metrics that keep people hooked?