The Turbulence of Dribbblization
First, let me say that I love communities like Dribbble. It’s great for artists to have avenues of growth and I don’t want to give the impression I’m against open discussion of other peoples work.
This article is specifically targeting the shallow critiquing that takes place on communities like and similar to Dribbble on interactive experiences; ones that encourage minimal visual/textual context and reward with social praise.
As Alla Kholmatova of SuperFriendly said at Smashing Conference in San Francisco just earlier this month: saying design is subjective is crap. If design were truly as subjective as people say, then it would be all madness and no method.
In short, interactive products are as much science as they are art.
The issue
If you want to be a better designer, with a useful array of skills and knowledge of interactive platforms, don’t look at communities like Dribbble. Dribbble in my eyes is one or two, maybe three, styles being used religiously without questioning how they relate to a broader context within the app’s identity and goals.
We want good usability to flow from a clear understanding of mission and vision. Intercom reposted one of their articles on Medium that goes deeper into this. It’s worth the read. In fact, you could probably read that entire article and skip mine, but I digress.
On “flat design”
Skeuomorphism as a base concept isn’t dead. In fact, we will never stop using it. By definition, it’s following cues from real world objects and movements to inform the user on the interactive. This doesn’t need to be taken as literally as Apple with the early versions of iOS, of course; but you also don’t want to go all the way to the extreme and be too much like the new iOS without understanding the problem you’re solving or who you’re targeting.
And there lies the core question: what are you really trying to provide to people? In the case of digital product design, an interface design is usually dictated by platform + company brand. Ignoring this and going too far into the direction of a hot new trend will often decrease the value of your product, and further confuse users.
Because digital product design is so complex, we need to ensure we’re educating each other by encouraging more contextual presentations and conversations on websites like Dribbble; or alternatively, move to more appropriate communities that can better help facilitate constructive feedback.
One image is not enough to understand how an animated transition fits into the experience of an interface, and that animation might disrupt entirely the functions adjacent to that experience.
Similarly, we need to start taking a conscious approach by helping each other be more strict in this regard. Challenging your peers is a must. Offer advice, give constructive criticism; and observe closely when things start tilting too far into toxicity.
Familiar territory
I remember seeing a post in the architecture subreddit one day and it was a redditor asking how his design looked (it was a 3D image of his CAD model). Everyone was very confused. They asked questions like,
“Where is the blueprint?”
“We can’t critique this without any information.”
“Can you provide interior specs and models?”
“What’s the environment for the building?”
“Where is it being built geographically?”
UX in my mind shouldn’t be any different. We have many established conventions and usability themes that are shared across our touch devices. It’s okay to borrow these conventions, even if it means in our peers’ eyes the design is a little less inspired (or ugly) — so long as the desired result is achieved and usability is the best it can be. We have many ways to make interfaces beautiful and useful without falling victim to internet turbulence.
It’s better to start late than never. No matter where you work, no one will say no to a better process and more thoughtfulness in your design.
The industry
Going back to helping each other be better designers by encouraging more useful discussion, remember that everyone can see your work online. Newbies, mid-career designers looking to refresh their game, and veterans with war stories.
A more conscious discussion and presentation of your work will show everyone — especially the newbies — what it means to really design a useful experience; that it’s more than a “shot.”
A good designer will always be able to justify their process and final results. Fight for the user, not the designer. Just like architecture, digital product design is as much science as it is art.
