Design Details

This week, we deep dive into tips and strategies for building a better settings experience in your product. In The Sidebar, we discuss the efficacy of paginating onboarding screens.Golden Ratio Patrons:Float Float has been a lifeline for teams working remotely in 2020. It lets you keep track of who's working on what and plan your team's time, from anywhere! Float gives you an accurate view of your team's availability and capacity., allowing you to set custom work days and hours and schedule a status to let your team know where you're working from. Learn more at float.com/designdetails.Hover Hover has over 300 domain name extensions to choose from when building your brand online. No matter what area of the creative space you are in, there’s a domain name waiting for it - from .DESIGN, .ART to .INK, .PHOTO and so much more. Get 10% off your first purchase when you sign up at hover.com/designdetails.Sponsors:This week we're supported by Webflow! Webflow gives designers the power of code in a visual interface, al

This week, we dive into the details of having effective user research sessions, sharing tips and strategies to get more value out of customer conversations. In The Sidebar, Marshall explains his work journaling process to capture better day-to-day notes.Golden Ratio Patrons:FloatFloat gives you the most accurate view of your team's availability and work schedule. You can set custom work hours, add public holidays and time off, and schedule a status to let your team know where you’re working fromーthe home office (dining table), or the lake house! Learn more at float.com/designdetails.HoverYou’re a designer. That means you need a portfolio. That means you need a website. And if you don’t have a website, today’s the day: Hover is the best way to register a domain for your portfolio site. Get 10% off your first purchase when you sign up at hover.com/designdetails.Sponsors:This week we're supported by Webflow! Webflow gives designers the power of code in a visual interface, allowing them to directly build whatever

This week, we try to answer one very simple question: what do designers even do all day? In The Sidebar, we discuss when and where to use system defaults versus creating a custom UI.Golden Ratio Patrons:Keep track of who's working on what and plan your team's time, from anywhere! Get an accurate view of your team's availability and capacity, set custom work days and hours, schedule a status to let your team know where you're working from, and so much more. Learn more at float.com/designdetails.Sponsors:This week we're supported by Webflow! Webflow gives designers the power of code in a visual interface, allowing them to directly build whatever they have in mind without engineers. Webflow’s whole thesis is that designers are used to learning complex visual software like Photoshop, Sketch, Figma, etc., but none of those tools actually output production code. From creative agencies like IDEO and Ramotion to design-led startups like Lattice and Petal — Webflow gives designers the power to build whatever they have

This week, we weigh the pros and cons of working on a product that you love to use every day. Is it really so bad to be your own power user? In The Sidebar, we discuss steps to take when exploring vague problem areas.Golden Ratio Patrons:Float is a resource management software for planning your team’s time across multiple projects. Companies like Buzzfeed and MetaLab both use Float to plan and track hundreds of projects more effectively. You can learn more about how they use Float at https://www.float.com/who-uses-float or learn more at float.com/designdetailsLatest VIP Patrons:Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels!Jayden TranJordan JenningsBrandon HiteDrew RosierTal CohenThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/designdetails.In this week's Sidebar, we talk about how to begin exploring broad-space problem areas. How do you A/B test when the

This week, we answer two listener questions – bonus question in The Sidebar! In the first, we discuss text contrast, accessibility, and winning arguments. In the second, we work out what it means to measure success in interface design.Golden Ratio Patrons:We’re supported by Float.com, a resource scheduling tool that is visual, flexible, fast, and reliable. In the last two months, they’ve launched integrations with the top four project management tools: Jira, Asana, Teamwork, and Trello. The integration features a sidebar that imports your tasks or issues into Float, so you can drag and drop them onto your team member's schedules. Learn more at float.com/designdetailsLatest VIP Patrons:Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels!Ashley HopkinsAndy WeirCrystal EllisHana FeriancovaChelsea BishopNick HumphreysThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/

This week, we discuss a listener question about the tension between design systems and creativity. Do design systems destroy creativity, or simply get the boring parts of our work out of the way? In The Sidebar, we discuss the challenges in sharing North Star design visions across teams.Golden Ratio Patrons:Did you know that teams in more than 150 countries around the world use Float for the resource planning? Float is the #1 rated resource management software on G2. Learn more at float.com/designdetailsLatest VIP Patrons:Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels!Thomas EckertSören GröbkeSveta GoldsteinJuliana SFarfama HargaayaChristopher WoodsideDanni HuJatinSanket PathakTin KadoicChristopher DrakefordAgneseDavid Luft Jeremie Michaels LimMatt HarneyThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/designdetails.In this week's Sidebar, we discuss the pr

This week, we caught up with Bobby Goodlatte and Josh Williams, two designers-turned-investors who recently announced Form Capital, an early-stage venture fund. In this episode we talk about the path to starting a fund, whether founders should live in the Bay Area, and share advice to designers who are interested in starting their own company someday.Golden Ratio Patrons:Float is a resource management tool for planning your team’s time across multiple projects. Built by creatives, for creatives, Float makes resource planning simple — like it should be! Learn more at float.com/designdetailsLatest VIP Patrons:Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels!AxeRaiderSwapnil KosarabeVuokko AroConor O'HollarenAdam DipperAdam MilesJack BrindRaymond BessemerEmily KaneElliott RocheMattRobert OrfThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/designdetails.In this w

This week, we talk about the recently-unveiled GPT-3 AI tool and the implications of AI for design. In The Sidebar, we discuss HUD design in video games, nerding out on diegesis, skeuomorphism, and more.Golden Ratio Patrons:Float is an easy to use resource management tool for planning your projects and scheduling your team's time. Access your schedule from anywhere with a mobile app for on the go. Float makes resource management fast, visual and simple. Learn more at float.com/designdetailsLatest VIP Patrons:Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels!Brian ChristRafael PereiraAmy ZhenPawel SzymankiewiczMia SureshThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/designdetails.In this week's Sidebar, we discuss the evolution and impact of the HUD UI in video games. We dive into diegesis, skeuomorphism, and more.Follow up:Vicki Tan is working on the podcast

This week, we caught up with Cemre Güngör to talk about transitioning from design to product management, the tension between the roles of PD and PM, why products fail, and so much more. In The Sidebar, we discuss the most over- and under-rated skills for PMs.Golden Ratio Patrons:More than 3,000 of the world's top design teams, including BuzzFeed, Ogilvy, MetaLab and Hulu use Float to plan their projects and schedule their team’s time. Float is the most accurate tool for planning your project resources and scheduling your team's time. Learn more at float.com/designdetailsLatest VIP Patrons:Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels!Zack AronsonEzra EverhartBob WassermannRuben Alexander DreymannHarley ThomasSebastian WintherJan HaalandQin BianYUJING CUINicholas DauchotEmilyThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/designdetails.In this week's Sideb

This week, we attempt to answer the age-old question every designer will someday face: should I be a product manager? In this week's Sidebar, we share our first impressions of macOS Big Sur, covering our favorite changes and what we hope to see updated before public release. Golden Ratio Patrons:Are you still using spreadsheets to plan your projects? Float is a resource management software built for creative teams. Add your team’s roles, departments and work hours, schedule time-off, public holidays and remote work days, so you always have the truest view of your team's availability. Learn more at float.com/designdetailsLatest VIP Patrons:Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels!HannahTristan ScagliaKelli NovotnyNiko LazarisEric StahlAdam HoChipThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/designdetails.In this week's Sidebar, we dig into our first

This week, we caught up with Yitong Zhang to talk about what it's like to navigate the visa process in the US. We dig into the details of different work visas, the constraints they impose on designers, and what is changing in the current processes. This, plus bonus questions and cool things as always!Golden Ratio Patrons:Float is a resource management software for planning your team’s time across multiple projects. Float saves your team time, so you can get back to doing what you love! Learn more about how teams in more than 150 countries around the world use Float for the resource planning at float.com/designdetailsLatest VIP Patrons:Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels!HugoSimon ErikssonSungpil SeoMax RudbergJoseAda ZThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/designdetails.In this week's Sidebar, we ask Yitong some bonus questions at the e

This week, we go deep down the WWDC rabbit hole to dissect the latest design details coming from Apple HQ. We also share our spicy takes on the new macOS icons in this week's sidebar.Golden Ratio Patrons:The world’s top creative teams use Float to plan their projects and schedule their team’s time, all in one place. Schedule tasks with an easy drag-and-drop interface, make changes on the fly with a variety of editing tools, and stay up to date on the go using the mobile app. Learn more at float.com/designdetailsLatest VIP Patrons:Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels!Nika ZhangRobin RundkvistThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/designdetails.In this week's Sidebar, we share our hot takes on the latest macOS Big Sur icons, digging into the visual style, what this means for the platform, and what parts we expect to change before the final

This week, we caught up with Maurice Cherry to talk about design podcasting, building an agency from scratch, and the current state of diversity in design. Maurice is a designer, podcaster, creative strategist, agency founder, writer, speaker, and much more.Golden Ratio Patrons:Float is an easy to use resource management tool for planning your projects and scheduling your team's time. Get a high-level view of who’s working on what, so you can plan your team’s time based on their real availability. Learn more at float.com/designdetailsLatest VIP Patrons:Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels!jo⁺Harish ShivaramanNayeli PerezPingThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/designdetails.In this week's Sidebar, we ask Maurice some bonus questions at the end of the interview:What is the most under-rated skill for designers?What is the most over-rated

This week, we share some accessibility gut checks that designers should think through before moving into high fidelity mocks. We also talk about industrial design and video game hardware in this week's Sidebar, plus we share our cool things as always!Golden Ratio Patrons:More than 3,000 of the world's top design teams, including BuzzFeed, Ogilvy, MetaLab and Hulu use Float to plan their projects and schedule their team’s time. Float is the most accurate tool for planning your project resources and scheduling your team's time. Learn more at float.com/designdetailsLatest VIP Patrons:Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels!Shefali NetkeDarwin WittlaoTzuJason WuChristian LundeThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/designdetails.In this week's Sidebar, we talk about video game console design, how controllers have changed, the evolution of gamepl

This week, we talk about weaponizing hashtags, co-opting social media movements, and solving hard problems in product design. Spoiler: hard problems are hard. This, plus The Sidebar, some follow up, and cool things as always.Golden Ratio Patrons:Visualize who’s working on what and when, and drag and drop to assign tasks in a click. With Float you can plan your projects and schedule your team’s time with confidence. Learn more at float.com/designdetailsLatest VIP Patrons:Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels!Douglas HillGabe de la MoraJames JacksonCassidy CheangCameron DeardorffJessica TongBailey JenningsKrisOla DrachalNate Kehdactra-ChongMathias KlugeBenMaggie ManvilleAndy NgoMatt CoolThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/designdetails.In this week's Sidebar, we talk about weaponizing hashtags, co-opting social media movements, and solvi

This week, we can't record a podcast talking about pixels and software design. The world is hurting, and the best thing we can do right now is direct people to the resources and organizations that are able to have the most impact in black communities. Please consider reading, learning, introspecting, and donating this week.Support:Black Lives MatterNAACP Legal Defense and Educational FundEqual Justice InitiativeWe the ProtestersReclaim the BlockGeorge Floyd Memorial FundCampaign ZeroStand Against Racial InjusticeMinnesota Freedom FundRead:An Antiracist Reading ListWhat Martin Luther King Jr. Would Have SaidTrevor Noah on George Floyd and the Protests + part 2How to Make This Moment the Turning Point for Real ChangeA thread on design historyCross-cultural DesignMismatch - How Inclusion Shapes DesignAlgorithms of OppressionHow to be AntiracistSo You Want to Talk About RaceTeaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of FreedomThe Culture MapBlack Designers: Missing in ActionStay safe, everyone

This week, we share some tips for getting unstuck when working on complicated design problems. We also share our home screen organization philosophies in The Sidebar, catch up on Tweets, and share our cool things as always.Golden Ratio Patrons:Float saves your team time, so you can get back to doing what you love! The world’s top creative teams use Float to plan their projects and schedule their team’s time, all in one place. Learn more at float.com/designdetails.Latest VIP Patrons:Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels!Stacy HTim DysonLudens Tam TranJohn MeguerianJasmine JonesPaul TruongCaro LukinsGareth FieldArick ConleyThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/designdetails.In this week's Sidebar, Marshall and Brian explain their philosophy for home screen app organization. We nerd out on structuring columns, rows, and home screen peace-of

This week, we talk about how to overcome skill gaps. What should you do if you are bad at visual design? What if you can't make icons? Should you play into strengths or develop upon your weaknesses? We explore these topics, and more! Golden Ratio Patrons:Are you still using spreadsheets to plan your projects? Float is a resource management software built for creative teams. Add your team’s roles, departments and work hours, schedule time-off, public holidays and remote work days, so you always have the truest view of your team's availability. Learn more at float.com/designdetails.Latest VIP Patrons:Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels!SabineYi HeMo CupsNicole TallonShelley HuangOmidLiz ChenThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/designdetails.In this week's Sidebar we discuss digital gardening, personal knowledge management, and learning

This week, we discuss the characteristics of high quality software. We do our best to organize and outline things to pay attention to that will help you ship better software. This, plus a Sidebar discussing how to handle negative feedback from customers, and cool things as always! Golden Ratio Patrons:More than 3,000 of the world's top design teams, including BuzzFeed, MetaLab and Hulu use Float to plan their projects and schedule their team’s time. Learn more about how to help your team plan better at float.com/designdetails.Latest VIP Patrons:Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels – we crossed 200 this week!Anne ChangKelsy Michael GagnebinFabio GiolitoKer NingDavid PehrsonJames LyonsWill HsuDavida PittsJustyna PapiernikYO ChiyunJörn ZanderNathan GrossThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/designdetails.In this week's Sidebar we discuss f

This week, we discuss what it means to have and develop taste. From software to fashion, styles change, trends come and go, so what does it mean to be tasteful? In The Sidebar, we discuss the hacker mindset and building for an audience of one. This, plus cool things like a handy iPhone app and a killer new VR game! Golden Ratio Patrons: Float is an easy to use resource management tool for planning your projects and scheduling your team's time. Built by creatives, for creatives, Float makes resource planning simple. Learn more at float.com/designdetails. Latest VIP Patrons: Huge shoutouts to our latest Very Important Pixels – we crossed 200 this week! Divya Tak Ugochukwu Ifezue Sara Zhang Joey Banks Nejat Seçkin Oral Kyler Phillips Jaimin Desai Sophia Pang Q ESC Steve Clark Suzy Cui Simon Taranto The Sidebar: The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe for just $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/designdetails.