Give users choice: Design ecosystems, not paths

Underneath the guise of user-centered design lies a constrained environment that limits user freedom, prompting a shift towards ecosystem design, which better accommodates user unpredictability and autonomy. This approach contrasts with traditional user-centered design by embracing user misbehavior and the unanticipated ways users interact with products, advocating for a framework that allows users to forge their own paths and integrate various tools. Ecosystem design emphasizes the importance of designing with user agency in mind, particularly with the rise of no-code tools that empower users to create and customize their own solutions. By fostering an environment of integration and collaboration, designers can nurture a more flexible and adaptive experience that aligns with users' evolving needs. This philosophy challenges designers to transcend their own biases, ensuring that their creations remain open and responsive to the diverse, ever-changing interactions of users, much like the original intent of open-source software, which can either empower communities or exacerbate inequities, depending on its implementation.