Design can be beautiful
Design can be beautiful
Some lessons are learned only through experience. The one that has been in my mind lately would surely spark a lively conversation with my younger self.
I had a clear topic in mind for this month’s article until I sat down to write. It might have been caused by my vacation or because I have had this topic in my mind for so long, but it took on a life of its own and turned out to be a reflection—a lesson to my younger self that could only be understood by going through the journey and giving the word “craft” a new meaning.
Design can’t be “beautiful”, right?
I can’t pinpoint when I started to notice a lot more talk about craft, but it has been on my mind for over a year and is only growing. Since then, I have been saving the ideas and reflections that others have about the topic, from people like David Hoang, Julie Zhuo, and Tobias van Schneider, to name a few.
In a way, it does feel ironic that I’m so passionate about this topic nowadays.
I started as a graphic designer because I liked illustration. Early on in the university, I noticed how people often called a design “beautiful” when they couldn’t find appropriate words to give a proper critique. I hated it. To me, a design had to make logical sense, just like the classic phrase “form follows function” from the 1896 essay "The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered," by architect Louis H. Sullivan.
Soon after, I found myself working in UI design back in the Photoshop days. It felt just right. Well, at least the theory and logic, the painstaking process of changing colors in Ps, is not so much. There were UX laws, the early days of design system documentation, and best practice articles were being written left and right on almost every topic you could imagine.
Rules are meant to be broken
I chased the perfect process… and as you can imagine, I couldn't find it.
It took me years of design practice to realize that rules and best practices are not meant to be strict laws to be followed but rather guidelines to help in the decision-making of a well-rounded user experience.
Nowadays, with a more mature design systems practice and the rise of AI, things are changing in many ways. As a design system advocate myself, I’m well acquainted with its value. After all, I have been the one behind pitch decks to kickstart several design system initiatives.
I’m also becoming highly acquainted with the intersection of AI and design tooling, which can be a powerful automation tool, among many other use cases.
The thing is, with several of the smallest details getting standardized and automated, the tools we use every day look awfully similar. And yes, I know about Jakob’s Law. But if all our experiences look and feel the same in the name of consistency, where’s the fun? Where’s the delight? How do we achieve a memorable user experience if it’s all transactional and functional to complete tasks during the day-to-day?
The word “craft” takes a new meaning
These are the thoughts that have been following me for the last year or so and why I have been more in tune with the thoughts that others have been sharing in relation to craft and inspiration.
Does that mean craft is the most important thing? To honor this publication’s name, it depends. More specifically, it depends on what you associate with craft.
If we reduce craft to UI styling, then no, we’re not talking about the same thing. True craftsmanship will serve a purpose, a fine balance between the user and the business needs. It’s about considering the details holistically to create something valuable. But that’s the topic for next month, so stay tuned!
It does feel like a long journey of studying the design practice, mastering design tooling, and understanding the value of design systems and business thinking, only to come full circle and realize that what makes me unique as a software designer is my craft, my taste, my opinionated approach to design.
Thus, craft takes on a new meaning; now, I can confidently say that a well-crafted design is absolutely beautiful!
It's always more fun to learn with others than doing it alone, so don't hesitate to reach out on Threads @laurieesc if you want to continue the conversation. If this article has been helpful, share it with a friend!
Over and out,
Laura ✌️