Ask HN: How do you manage UI/UX for your side projects? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage UI/UX for your side projects?

#121

Post by barbecue_sauce » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 6:54 PM UTC

spunker540 wrote: post #34

maceurt wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bootstrap is so antiquated. It is also far from easy, and even if you learn a lot about bootstrap is will not make your project suddenly look good. Not to mention the container system is one of the most confusing things I have ever seen, but maybe that is just me.

What would you recommend in its place? I’ve been using bootstrap for any web side projects of mine mostly for its ability to flex and handle multiple devices sizes and also because its defaults look passable out of the box. I agree containers are confusing but honestly making a custom web app look good on all resolutions/aspect ratios is complicated in my opinion.

At most use the Bootstrap grid system. Roll your own component styles, particularly if you're trying to sell whatever you're building as a product. Otherwise, your project will lack identity. I'm more sensitive to it than most because of my background, but if I see an app using Bootstrap defaults, it negatively affects my opinion.

That said, the Bootstrap 4 defaults are much more modern looking than Bootstrap 3's.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage UI/UX for your side projects?

#122

Post by Myrmornis » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 6:58 PM UTC

d0m wrote: post #51

A lot of engineers have the mentality of "engineering is hard, but design is just whatever some color matching and styling". I'll prob. be downvoted but here's my honest opinion: I think you'll gain a lot career-wise to learn about UX and UI. You'll be able to understand products in a deeper level from the customer's side and will then be able to make better decisions as an engineer. You'll also have a much easier ti…

Really, I wouldn't recommend that theoretical approach at all to a backend engineer who wants practical tips for their side projects. I'd say something like:

- Learn to use bootstrap (or whatever the most highly-thought of equivalent batteries-included CSS framework is)

- Don't be scared of modern JS. Work through the tutorial on webpack: https://webpack.js.org/guides/getting-started/ And figure out how to incorporate it into your projects development work flow. Then you'll be able to write in modern JS and take your pick of JS frameworks to use if you want.

- Don't be distracted by all the blog posts.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage UI/UX for your side projects?

#123

Post by megous » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 7:09 PM UTC

maceurt wrote: post #101

wartijn_ wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not OP, but I recommend using plain css. With the grid layout and flexbox it has become pretty easy to create something decent and learning flexbox and grid isn't hard. Grid works basically the same as Bootstrap: split a page in parts and tell each element how many parts they can use. But with gird you don't to split your page in 12 part, but can choose for yourself how many you want. Flexbox is rid, but for things y…

I second using vanilla css. Vanilla css is a lot easier to understand than bootstrap imo. Vanilla css + HTML5 is good enough for pretty much any web page.

Yup. Learning basic web platform technologies is the best investment too. They're not going away, ever. (Comparend to the currently fancy libraries/frameworks). And it will help you understand all the things built on top of the web platform.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage UI/UX for your side projects?

#124

Post by deltron3030 » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 7:10 PM UTC

>How do I solve this?

Develop an interest in design in general. It‘s a skill that grows with your level of immersion. It‘s helpful to have developed a taste before making design decisions, or even for deciding what to learn and who to follow.

You could start by reading about the history of design, especially where design started to emerge as its own thing from art in the early 1900s.

Knowing the history and political implications (man vs. machine etc.) is important, because many decisions, tastes and (especially typographic) choices of other designers may not make sense otherwise.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage UI/UX for your side projects?

#125

Post by kelvin0 » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 7:12 PM UTC

d0m wrote: post #51

A lot of engineers have the mentality of "engineering is hard, but design is just whatever some color matching and styling". I'll prob. be downvoted but here's my honest opinion: I think you'll gain a lot career-wise to learn about UX and UI. You'll be able to understand products in a deeper level from the customer's side and will then be able to make better decisions as an engineer. You'll also have a much easier ti…

Being on the software engineering side of things, I do not trivialize the design aspect. However, it's very rare that an 'engineering' type person will also have the 'ux/ui/designer' chops. We don't necessarily understand that aspect of things in the same way ... clearly my weakness, and I assume it as such. Ideally software development in some case would benefit enormously in a holistic approach to the engineering and design side of things. I've been looking for a good designer to complement my set of skills, but I've yet to find that person... I am really leaning towards taking a course in such design aspects. But I won't become a magical-ux-ui-designer wizard.

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage UI/UX for your side projects?

#126

Post by minhaz23 » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 7:15 PM UTC

deltron3030 wrote: post #124

>How do I solve this? Develop an interest in design in general. It‘s a skill that grows with your level of immersion. It‘s helpful to have developed a taste before making design decisions, or even for deciding what to learn and who to follow. You could start by reading about the history of design, especially where design started to emerge as its own thing from art in the early 1900s. Knowing the history and political…

Any resources you can recommend for learning?

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage UI/UX for your side projects?

#127

Post by jolmg » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 7:33 PM UTC

d0m wrote: post #51

A lot of engineers have the mentality of "engineering is hard, but design is just whatever some color matching and styling". I'll prob. be downvoted but here's my honest opinion: I think you'll gain a lot career-wise to learn about UX and UI. You'll be able to understand products in a deeper level from the customer's side and will then be able to make better decisions as an engineer. You'll also have a much easier ti…

> Basic on typography (It makes a big difference even if most people don't notice it)

Can you expand on why typography matters? I've never understood why some people seem to care so much about kerning and line angles in the glyphs and such. What do you think are the most important topics in typography people should learn and why do they matter?

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage UI/UX for your side projects?

#128

Post by titanomachy » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 7:42 PM UTC

jolmg wrote: post #127

d0m wrote: post #51

A lot of engineers have the mentality of "engineering is hard, but design is just whatever some color matching and styling". I'll prob. be downvoted but here's my honest opinion: I think you'll gain a lot career-wise to learn about UX and UI. You'll be able to understand products in a deeper level from the customer's side and will then be able to make better decisions as an engineer. You'll also have a much easier ti…

> Basic on typography (It makes a big difference even if most people don't notice it) Can you expand on why typography matters? I've never understood why some people seem to care so much about kerning and line angles in the glyphs and such. What do you think are the most important topics in typography people should learn and why do they matter?

Matthew Butterick says it better than I ever could: https://practicaltypography.com/why-does-typography-matter.h...

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage UI/UX for your side projects?

#129

Post by chaostheory » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 7:43 PM UTC

d0m wrote: post #51

A lot of engineers have the mentality of "engineering is hard, but design is just whatever some color matching and styling". I'll prob. be downvoted but here's my honest opinion: I think you'll gain a lot career-wise to learn about UX and UI. You'll be able to understand products in a deeper level from the customer's side and will then be able to make better decisions as an engineer. You'll also have a much easier ti…

> A lot of engineers have the mentality of "engineering is hard, but design is just whatever some color matching and styling".

This mentality died over a decade ago, especially given the rise of Apple and the mainstream awareness of Jobs as a design guru

Re: Ask HN: How do you manage UI/UX for your side projects?

#130

Post by d0m » Fri, Dec 07, 2018, 7:44 PM UTC

jolmg wrote: post #127

d0m wrote: post #51

A lot of engineers have the mentality of "engineering is hard, but design is just whatever some color matching and styling". I'll prob. be downvoted but here's my honest opinion: I think you'll gain a lot career-wise to learn about UX and UI. You'll be able to understand products in a deeper level from the customer's side and will then be able to make better decisions as an engineer. You'll also have a much easier ti…

> Basic on typography (It makes a big difference even if most people don't notice it) Can you expand on why typography matters? I've never understood why some people seem to care so much about kerning and line angles in the glyphs and such. What do you think are the most important topics in typography people should learn and why do they matter?

Well I'm not saying to become a typography expert, but it's important to understand how font types relate to each other and how to increase clarity based on the context. For instance, print vs slides vs web page, or a little bit of content vs some heavy content could probably be improved with different fonts. Also, even if people don't notice it, the typeface/font is part of the branding and it creates different experiences. I.e. it makes something look more friendly or serious.