Practical UI

Don't just move stuff around until it looks pretty

User interface design is hard. Having endless design possibilities sounds great in theory, but in practice, it can be frustrating and time consuming. With so many options to choose from regarding layout, spacing, typography, and colour, making design decisions can be overwhelming. When you add usability, accessibility, and psychology to the mix, it gets even harder. Luckily, UI design doesn’t have to be so hard. Over the years, I’ve realised that most of my UI design decisions are governed by a system of logical guidelines. Not artistic flair or magical intuition, just simple guidelines. Sure, artistic talent helps, but a lot of what makes up an intuitive, accessible, and beautiful interface design can be learned. Having a system of logical guidelines helps you efficiently make informed design decisions. Without a logical system, you’re just using gut feeling to move stuff around until it looks pretty. I wish I knew these guidelines when I first started out. They’re a culmination of nearly 2 decades working as a product designer on websites and apps used by millions of people. My hope is that they’ll help you gain years of experience in a matter of hours.