Users perceive aesthetic designs as more usable, but aesthetics alone won't carry a confused user.
Lead with outcome, not absence. One clear CTA, one low-friction shortcut.
Two prototypes with identical flows will score differently. The more polished one gets higher perceived-usability ratings, and testers forgive small friction they'd otherwise flag. Apple's hardware and Stripe's checkout both trade on this: visible craft makes people trust that the parts they can't see work too.
It actively masks problems during research. A beautiful prototype can hide real usability issues because testers are more forgiving of it. When you need honest findings, test the flow in low fidelity first, before the polish buys goodwill the design hasn't earned.
An AI assistant opens to an empty input with a blinking cursor and nothing else. First-time users stare, unsure what to even ask, and leave within a minute.