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?

#181

Post by derangedHorse » Sat, Dec 08, 2018, 4:41 AM UTC

yuchi wrote: post #155

sfilargi wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A lot of engineers have the mentality of "engineering is hard, but design is just whatever some color matching and styling". Just anecdata, but as an engineer I think engineering is easy and design is hard. For engineering you just have to follow logic, reasoning, good practices and have discipline. Also you can test your code to death to make sure everything is correct. For design you have to have an artistic natu…

Probably on the same lines of the sibling comments, but here's my 2 cents. (I'm the design lead at software company, strong fronted dev background) I believe that design should never be a creative process — when it is it means you are improvising — and that's simply disrespectful of the users. Well, you can have some sparks of creativeness (which usually is just an insight finally coming together from different datap…

But design is also incorporates an aesthetic which I imagine may not fit in as nicely to the "form follows function" principal as we might think.

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

#182

Post by derangedHorse » Sat, Dec 08, 2018, 4:43 AM UTC

anant90 wrote: post #138

ohkaiby wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually took a 3-month crash course on Visual Design because I was weak in that area (as a front-end developer). Probably one of the best professional investments I have made. The course taught me basically the above list. I would add knowledge about grids and negative spacing to the above list.

Sorry for the plug, but since others are asking for an introductory resource, I wrote a short course on UI Design myself not too long ago. They are just 17 short tutorials: https://www.commonlounge.com/discussion/d5bae026ef6e4f949e63...

Link hangs on 'LOADING..."

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

#183

Post by msaharia » Sat, Dec 08, 2018, 4:49 AM 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…

Is there a book you would suggest for reading on these topics? I prefer it over a website for offline reading.

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

#184

Post by santa_boy » Sat, Dec 08, 2018, 6:53 AM UTC

I face the same problem and honestly, design is hard. Even basic design skills are a lot of effort.

I try to resolve the shortfall using Themes on bootstrap and then freelancers to resolve ad-hoc issues.

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

#185

Post by omar93 » Sat, Dec 08, 2018, 11:48 AM UTC

I hire freelancers, If it's a small project I hire freelancers from Fiverr and for important things I hire from Upwork.

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

#186

Post by Chyzwar » Sat, Dec 08, 2018, 12:13 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…

Why I would spend time learning UI/UX when I can be 10X more productive building functionality. Designer even good one will charge you much less than your developer time.

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

#187

Post by minhaz23 » Sat, Dec 08, 2018, 1:13 PM UTC

bookz wrote: post #176

minhaz23 wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any resources you can recommend for learning?

RefactoringUI series already mentioned is great for specific tactical tricks that are immediately applicable. To develop a deeper understanding and taste, I would recommend "Design Basics" by Lauer & Pentak. I’ve studied and taught design from it and think it is a great introduction to the fundamentals. The latest edition tends to be overpriced as a general rule. I would go for one of the older editions. Personally,…

Thank you. I appreciate the recommendations. Where was RefactoringUI series already mentioned?

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

#188

Post by minhaz23 » Sat, Dec 08, 2018, 1:13 PM UTC

deltron3030 wrote: post #157

minhaz23 wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any resources you can recommend for learning?

Design Literacy by Steven Heller is a good comprehensive book about graphic design. Here‘s a more general video you could watch now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBCa_jbxGfI What‘s important to understand is that graphic design, architecture and product design did evolve at the same time, with similar underlying principles. It‘s all related.

Thank you so much! The video you linked to is about architecture correct? And your thesis is a good understanding of architecture will help with design as well?

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

#189

Post by deltron3030 » Sat, Dec 08, 2018, 2:38 PM UTC

minhaz23 wrote: post #188

deltron3030 wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Design Literacy by Steven Heller is a good comprehensive book about graphic design. Here‘s a more general video you could watch now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBCa_jbxGfI What‘s important to understand is that graphic design, architecture and product design did evolve at the same time, with similar underlying principles. It‘s all related.

Thank you so much! The video you linked to is about architecture correct? And your thesis is a good understanding of architecture will help with design as well?

>The video you linked to is about architecture correct?

Yes and no, it‘s more about a design mindset.

>And your thesis is a good understanding of architecture will help with design as well?

Sure. You don‘t need to know how to build a house though. It‘s more about the motivations of the designers and the practicality and purpose of the designs, how designers think.

You can see similar debates between architecture and typography when it comes to ornamentation, the usefulness and practicality of it, and the appeal to conservative, progressive or even post modern audiences.

That‘s also why it‘s similar to politics, the‘re fanatics on either side. If you understand this it will be easier to find a balance in your style that is right for the audience you design for.

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

#190

Post by p_red » Sat, Dec 08, 2018, 3:16 PM UTC

Don't bother with UX/UI at the beginning. It's wasting your time and resources.

Focus on a problem you want to solve. Make your product useful. Make sure your product works and provides a value for a user.

If you (when you) succeed in above, then you can address UX/UI based on feedback and usage findings you will already have.

UX is overrated, at least in the beginning of creating a product. That's why the web is full of crappy products and derivated ideas which just look nice.

Just my 2 cents as a product designer.

(peace)