Design Details

This week, we talk with Justin Stahl about visual design and craft, the impact of design systems and tools on the visual landscape, tactical tips for a stronger design interview, and much more. In The Sidebar, we ask Justin about the best advice he’s ever received, becoming a manager, and knowing when it’s time to switch teams.Latest VIP Patrons:Matt TurpinNushaine FerdinandPaul HernandezChandni LuhadiyaJustin WagonerAltayKiraAldrin FernandezAnna ZhandarovichPaweł LudwiczakNikkiAlex HarveyJacob JohnsonJoshua BeitlerKasperAndrew KamauThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus content going forward! Sign up at patreon.com/designdetails.Followup:Sam Bernhardt tweeted a more technical name for the confidence gradient concept from two weeks ago: confidence code switching.Cope Ahead SkillMain Topic:This week, we talk with Justin Stahl about visual design and craft, the impact of design systems and our tools on the

This week, we talk about the confidence gradient, how we’ve built confidence over time, and the funny circumstances that can take us out of our element. In The Sidebar, we share our first impressions of Windows 11 and talk about the growing convergence of operation system designs.Golden Ratio Supporter:AroundAround is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat software. We love the small floating heads and emphasis on making it easy to work alongside the video call, rather than constantly having to app switch.You can get started for free by signing up at Around.co!Latest VIP Patrons:WiggensAnca DobreaFrannie LaksYang YouHenning WitzelRitesh MandaliyaJeffrey AyigsiThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus content going forward! Sign

This week, we dig into the best way to think about margin and padding in your component system. In The Sidebar, we break down the basics of design advising and angel investing.Golden Ratio Supporter:AroundAround is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat software. We love the small floating heads and emphasis on making it easy to work alongside the video call, rather than constantly having to app switch.You can get started for free by signing up at Around.co!Latest VIP Patrons:Graham ConnellEmily KimSjur GrønningsæterVincent Salamanca-GagnonFranckDominic KennedyRohan BondiliTomáš TrejdlJames GoncalvesClay CrenshawJack LoLiam FergusonThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus content going forward! Sign up at patreon.com/designdeta

This week, we talk about a ubiquitous design crutch: the three dot menu. We examine the spread of this pattern and discuss potential solutions to avoid it. In The Sidebar, we recap WWDC 2021 and dive deep into our favorite announcements.Golden Ratio Supporter:AroundAround is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat software. We love the small floating heads and emphasis on making it easy to work alongside the video call, rather than constantly having to app switch.You can get started for free by signing up at Around.co!Latest VIP Patrons:Trí NguyễnMichael WangJustin WattsMichael GoliverBaruch PiTara UrsoThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus content going forward! Sign up at patreon.com/designdetails.Followup:Sean Sullivan twee

This week, we try to answer a simple question: is software ever finished? In The Sidebar, we talk money: compounding, investing, negotiating, planning, and more.Golden Ratio Supporter:AroundAround is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat software. We love the small floating heads and emphasis on making it easy to work alongside the video call, rather than constantly having to app switch.You can get started for free by signing up at Around.co!Latest VIP Patrons:Uhl AlbertErol MujakCarlos SalazarTony HeLinusCrys FMChristopherThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus content going forward! Sign up at patreon.com/designdetails.Main Topic:This week, Graham Connell tweets: can software ever be finished? Most products these days get n

This week, we talk about how the framework Strong Opinions, Weakly Held can be used to effectively critique visual design. In The Sidebar, we recap Google I/O 2021, discussing our favorite announcements, Material You, and the wild future of computers.Latest VIP Patrons:Javier AlavesAsh Oliver“Easily pronounceable”Michael WilkinsMark LeeZlatan HajrudinovicDerekBetty LauKe SunAlex MillerThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus content going forward! Sign up at patreon.com/designdetails.Follow up:Sam Chang tweeted: Curious how y’all feel about design folks who are curious and interested in non-design side projects. Would that also stand out to you?It depends! But it’s also your life, your website – certain things will just be more relevant than others in a job context.Apple previews AssistiveTouch, an awesome new set of accessibility tools for the Apple Watch.Main Topic:This week, Yu Zhao asks on GitHub: How

This week, we dig into two frameworks for leveling up at work: Proof of Curiosity and The Helpful Hierarchy. Whether you’re looking for more accountability, want to stand out in a job interview, or just want to be more intentional with your professional growth, we think these frameworks will help.Golden Ratio Supporter:AroundAround is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat software. We love the small floating heads and emphasis on making it easy to work alongside the video call, rather than constantly having to app switch.You can get started for free by signing up at Around.co!Latest VIP Patrons:Mark HuserStephanieFrancis CortezFrederik RømmingEthan MachadoLudens TranThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus content going forwar

This week, we talk about the tension between building what customers explicitly ask for versus building towards a team’s internal vision. In The Sidebar, we talk about the lack of public software critique: Why isn’t there an MKBHD equivalent for software design?Golden Ratio Supporter:AroundAround is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat software. We love the small floating heads and emphasis on making it easy to work alongside the video call, rather than constantly having to app switch.You can get started for free by signing up at Around.co!Latest VIP Patrons:Olga SNoah CTemiRenato MandićAndrew KimPhoebe GoldenbergZé MarquesCindy CGiulio FagioliniMatthewChris JeongBrian LeachRachel DavisRadek BerkaThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for acce

This week, we discuss the things we’ve done in our design careers that have had an outsized impact on our professional growth. In The Sidebar, we talk about the anatomy of icons and how that anatomy affects user interfaces.Golden Ratio Supporter:AroundAround is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat software. We love the small floating heads and emphasis on making it easy to work alongside the video call, rather than constantly having to app switch.You can get started for free by signing up at Around.co!Latest VIP Patrons:Patrik LauBarton SmithAndy KnightMancini Tangreg leibowitzCindy ZAchille Perrin (French pronunciation)Yuna AkazawaAaron von KreislerJustin HaldaneThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus content going forward!

It’s event recap week! In this week’s episode we share our reactions to everything announced at Figma’s Config 2021. In The Sidebar, we dig into our favorite updates and the confusing head-scratchers announced at Apple’s Spring Loaded event.Golden Ratio Supporter:AroundAround is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat software. We love the small floating heads and emphasis on making it easy to work alongside the video call, rather than constantly having to app switch.You can get started for free by signing up at Around.co!Latest VIP Patrons:lookiyamCharlieBlake LamD GThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus content going forward! Sign up at patreon.com/designdetails.Main Topic:This week, we dig into everything announced at Figma

This week, we caught up with Joey Banks to talk about contributing to open source design. In the Sidebar, we ask Joey bonus questions about ramping up in a new job, the design advocate role, and being Twitter famous.Latest VIP Patrons:Chris BarrettAmandaLiam MewsThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus content going forward! Sign up at patreon.com/designdetails.Main Topic:This week, we grabbed Joey Banks to help us answer a listener question. Joey is a product designer working on design systems at Twitter. Before this, he was a design advocate at Figma.flyingjuggernaut asks on GitHub:Why would a designer contribute to open-source design communities? What are the benefits for a designer to spend valuable time contributing to these? Do you contribute and if so, why? I can see entry-level designers contributing to gain some experience or projects for their portfolio but for designers that have been working fo

This week, we talk about the hidden complexities of a designer’s favorite element: the button. In the Sidebar, we examine interfaces that defer moderation responsibilities onto the end user.Golden Ratio Supporter:AroundThank you to Around, a better way to video call. The product is designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat software. We love the small floating heads and emphasis on making it easy to work alongside the video call, rather than constantly having to app switch.You can get started for free by signing up at Around.co!Latest VIP Patrons:Miko Castillo (not Michael)Dym SohinBradford UlrichSkye JonesNLP StudioReginald CurtisAlec DavyAl PowerLiam LiuAxel KheddacheThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus content going forward! Sign up at patreon.com/designdetails.Main

This week, we talk about how to become a more strategic designer: what should you be doing day to day, or thinking about more often? In The Sidebar, we talk about the downsides of using metaphors to describe the role of designers in building software.Golden Ratio Supporter:AroundThank you to Around, a better way to video call. The product is designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat software. We love the small floating heads and emphasis on making it easy to work alongside the video call, rather than constantly having to app switch.You can get started for free by signing up at Around.co!Latest VIP Patrons:Tim NoetzelCollin HadleyKristin AuCamden GabaGabriel LibermanJosh HoubenPreethi ShreeyaEdward LakeNick GiordanoCaleb HillJames Molyneux-BirchThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for acc

This week, we share tips and best practices for senior designers who are presenting their work in a portfolio review. In The Sidebar, we break down the qualities of great typographic hierarchy in interface design.Golden Ratio Supporter:MailbrewA huge shoutout to Mailbrew for supporting the show this week! Mailbrew is a personal daily digest for all the stuff you care about on the internet. We love it for delivering the top links and top tweets shared by the people we follow on Twitter, reducing FOMO and cutting down on social media time.Get started with a free trial, no credit card required, at https://mailbrew.com/dd. If you subscribe after the trial, you’ll save 30% on your first year’s subscription.AroundThank you to Around, a better way to video call. The product is designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat software. We love the small floating heads and emphasis on makin

This week, we catch up with Kathryn Gonzalez, the Head of Design Infrastructure at DoorDash. We talk about building DoorDash’s first design system, how to scale a design systems team, balancing technical and design skills, how to become a better systems designer by learning outside of work, and much more.Golden Ratio Supporters:MailbrewA huge shoutout to Mailbrew for supporting the show this week! Mailbrew is a personal daily digest for all the stuff you care about on the internet. We love it for delivering the top links and top tweets shared by the people we follow on Twitter, reducing FOMO and cutting down on social media time.Get started with a free trial, no credit card required, at https://mailbrew.com/dd. If you subscribe after the trial, you’ll save 30% on your first year’s subscription.AroundThank you to Around, a better way to video call. The product is designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces th

This week, we talk about how to have better design reviews. Who, what, where, and when? We share our experiences, and frustrations, with certain formats and processes. In The Sidebar, we try to answer the question: WTF is up with NFTs?Golden Ratio Supporter:A huge shoutout to Mailbrew for supporting the show this week! Mailbrew is a personal daily digest for all the stuff you care about on the internet. We love it for delivering the top links and top tweets shared by the people we follow on Twitter, reducing FOMO and cutting down on social media time.Get started with a free trial, no credit card required, at https://mailbrew.com/dd. If you subscribe after the trial, you’ll save 30% on your first year’s subscription.Latest VIP Patrons:Gábor JuhászKateřina BruzlováKim RøenRod BlackneyJerel Johnson (machinic)Aashrey SharmaRaffaele Vitale ?Natalie LeeCatalina de León BellocJohn RimAriel ChuCristiano LuísAlvin GohThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe s

This week, we cover part two of our design tips and tricks series. We talk about naming conventions, thinking in divs, structuring frames, and share a few Figma pro-tips. In The Sidebar, we talk about design content overload.Golden Ratio Supporter:A huge shoutout to Mailbrew for supporting the show this week! Mailbrew is a personal daily digest for all the stuff you care about on the internet. We love it for delivering the top links and top tweets shared by the people we follow on Twitter, reducing FOMO and cutting down on social media time.Get started with a free trial, no credit card required, at https://mailbrew.com/dd. If you subscribe after the trial, you’ll save 30% on your first year’s subscription.Latest VIP Patrons:Thuy LuongEileen WongShumin WangEthelia LungFloraGina LinGiulio FagioliniGrant M HansenHidden RaynScuba SteveDylan RiessenChristophLucas LemonnierUlli StrozynskiPg GonniYasmin ShibibHeidi PengSeth DaggettHo Uyen ThaoLiu Ting YúThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our

This week, we dig into specific tips and tricks to level up your craft game: how to leverage tools to make faster iterations, stay organized, and allow your mocks to easily scale over time. In The Sidebar, we dig into how to give design critique without having full problem or product context.Golden Ratio Supporter:A huge shoutout to Copilot, the best app for budgeting and tracking your personal finances. It’s our favorite tool for categorizing our spending, having our net worth available at a glance, and getting monthly (and yearly!) digests of all your spending.Get the app at copilot.money.Latest VIP Patrons:Tim SOlivier IfrahTaner AydınAlisa ZhukovaNordy VlasmanAnuja UpadhyeKaciePaulina DeraMirko PoloniJohannesJason LockwoodGary MoranMarshal UhlsxenolonJoshua GittoesZoe LeeSumire HibiyaCara BrashearsDaniel HermosoLakshman RameshSimon HuaAshish NegiAlexander DuffnerThe Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full

This week, we talk about designing with grid systems. In particular: when grid systems break, and what to do when they don’t align with our hardware screens perfectly. In The Sidebar, we talk all about design debt: how to work with it, pay it down, and eventually learn to accept it.Golden Ratio Supporter:A huge shoutout to Copilot, the best app for budgeting and tracking your personal finances. It’s our favorite tool for categorizing our spending, having our net worth available at a glance, and getting monthly (and yearly!) digests of all your spending.Get the app at copilot.money.Latest VIP Patrons:Leigh LaMonEdyta NiemyjskaJaimeBrandon HillsJonathan De WetGuilherme KaiserLillian LinAris AcobaKyle StuartHugo TuniusKish PatelMichael OttoDenis ZastanceanuKelvin O'SheaScott UnderwoodLachlan CampbellLucas VanGombosSam xiaRavi AujlaBrian NelsonThe 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! Sig

This week, we talk about strategies and tactical tips for elevating a team’s bar to design high quality interfaces. In The Sidebar, we talk about how to transition from web to mobile design.Golden Ratio Supporter:A huge shoutout to Copilot, the best app for budgeting and tracking your personal finances. It’s our favorite tool for categorizing our spending, having our net worth available at a glance, and getting monthly (and yearly!) digests of all your spending.Get the app at copilot.money.Latest VIP Patrons:Marcel mcvVarada GavaskarAnas KAFede Sánchez SaorínStevanus SatriaEugeneCarlo FrancoSingYu LamSiegsSam WitheyRachel JinStephen CadyFelix ShinJon LeeRafał ZiółekMitchell WattsRemi ChuNancy ZuoThe 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 things to learn and new mental models to adopt in order to transiti