Designer’s FAT mistakes & FIT checklist

Even the most talented designers can sometimes look a little FAT. No, not in a literal sense. I mean in your design delivery — the kind of FAT

Fussy

Amateur

Templated

That’s what you unintentionally communicate when you make FAT Mistakes.

You look FAT when

Font hierarchy is flawed: Your H1 doesn’t look like the boss. Everything’s either shouting or whispering. No visual rhythm = no clarity.

Alignment and orientation is gets messy: If your grids are off, your layout feels chaotic. Alignment isn’t just visual — it’s psychological. Misaligned design makes users (and stakeholders) uncomfortable.

Typos: Typos = lazy. Even a brilliant design can look half-baked if there are spelling errors. There are no “small” typos. Details build trust — or break it.

No excuses — Basic hygiene matters. If you overlook these, you don’t look fast. You look careless. And let’s be real — these are rookie errors that can show up when you’re multitasking or working fast.

So, how do you stay FIT?

I wrote a simple framework I use every time I hand off designs — especially when it’s a final deliverable, or anything that’s client/stakeholder-facing. Whether I’m designing solo, collaborating with devs, or even using AI-generated layouts, this is my go-to filter.

The FIT checklist

Design fitness isn’t about perfectionism — it’s about awareness. You don’t need hours to run a quick FIT check before handoff — you are taking it serious. Yes, you should.

FFocused and Functional
Every element must serve a purpose. No distractions. No fluff.

Informed and Impactful
Your design should reflect insights — user data, business goals, usability best practices. Not just vibes. Design with intent, backed by context.

TThoughtful and Trustworthy
Be deliberate. The more thoughtful your work, the more trust it builds. And trust leads to buy-in — from users, peers, and decision-makers.

Design Fitness matters because thoughtful design earns trust. And trust gets you leadership buy-in.

Hope you found this useful. Do tell me if it did. See you in next.