🚇 Designing With Extreme Use Case Theory
Designing for the edges, not the average — and why that makes systems more intuitive for everyone.
One idea that has really shaped my thinking recently is the Extreme Use Case Theory, the practice of designing for users at the edges of an experience rather than the “average” one.
These are the people who feel the most uncertainty, face the most friction, or interact with a system under the most challenging conditions.
When we design for these extremes, we realise the gaps that typical user journeys often hide.
And in doing so, we end up creating experiences that are clearer, calmer, and more intuitive for everyone.
I recently explored this idea through a transit-related use case in my class project focused on international students navigating public transport in Cincinnati for the first time. Even this slight shift in perspective dramatically changed how I viewed clarity, feedback, and emotional reassurance in mobility UX.
Will be posting more about this soon, but this mindset alone has opened up a whole new way of seeing problems.