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Yes!!! Yes, I am a Mad woman. I mean, when was the last time I got to just go with my gut? I haven’t in a loooong time, so if being mad means taking charge, then so be it!

My name is Eva, and as refreshing as that name sounds, my life has been suffocating lately. I can’t pinpoint the moment when society decided that “prim and proper” is the only way to live. When did we all agree that ignoring the foolishness of others would somehow bring peace of mind?

Just last week at work, as a UX Designer for a major retail company here in Florida, I got a “talk” from the Marketing Officer. Over what? A simple design change I made. A change that, might I add, improved the user experience.

You see, when I applied for this job six months ago, I read the job description thoroughly. They wanted someone creative, with no limits, and someone who takes the initiative. Well, here I am, with a mind that has no bounds and an initiative-taking spirit, only to be told off for doing exactly what they hired me for.

The issue? A color change. Yes, you heard me right. I tweaked the color palette on the website to correct what looked like an eyesore straight out of 2005. The change wasn’t just for my sanity either, it was a service to the 11,000 web visitors we accommodate monthly.

You see, we had this vibrant red everywhere on the site. Now, here’s where color psychology comes into play. Red is known to cause increased stress, even agitation. In a digital space, it can make users feel overwhelmed. Not the vibe you want for an e-commerce site, right? So, I made the executive decision to shift to a softer green. Green promotes calm, relaxation, and ease. I figured it would lower the stress level of our users and keep them browsing longer. I mean, green literally symbolizes ‘go’, and is a positive color for user interaction. Win-win, right?

Apparently not.

The Marketing Officer told me I should have asked before making the change. Seriously? If I must ask for permission to change colors, what’s next? Do I need approval to suggest where the call to action should go? Should I check in before offering users a light/dark mode option? I mean, come on. Isn’t that the point of hiring a UX designer? To know what works and to act on it? Where’s the trust in expertise?

And to add salt to the wound, there’s been breakroom chatter about it, too. Apparently, people are talking about how I made the change “without permission.” Whispering like I committed some crime, when all I did was use my brain.

Then there’s Katie, the colleague who sits across from me. I asked her for feedback on a design I was working on, just to get a fresh set of eyes. She looked at it, looked at me, and said, “Ouch, my eyes suddenly HURT!”

LOL. I actually laughed out loud, and she looked startled for a second. Her wide-eyed expression was like glucose to my bloodstream, and I wanted more. So, I leaned in and laughed harder. She moved back, all flustered, looking more confused than ever, and I told her, “Green doesn’t cause discomfort, it’s one of the most soothing colors to the human eye.” Then I kept laughing as I walked back to my desk. DummyDummy.com

And just like that, the whispers grew louder. Next thing I know, I’m the “Mad Woman” of the office. All because I took the initiative to make things better. Because I called out nonsense when I saw it. Because I laughed out loud.

But here’s the question. Am I mad because I made a decision based on research, based on what was right? Or is it because I refused to follow some unwritten rule about asking permission for everything? The line between being a creative and being reckless is thin, and it’s only thin because society makes it that way…

In this world, they tell you to be innovative, but then they blab about when you actually do something innovative. So, what’s the real expectation here? Do they want employees who follow the rulebook or employees who make the user experience better?

Maybe being a “mad woman” is the only way to get anything done these days. Maybe what they fear isn’t madness. Maybe they fear someone who isn’t afraid to move forward without approval.