Replying to Avatar HoloKat

A common pattern in UI design is to create systems for everything - font sizes, padding, margins, radius etc…

While this is a better strategy that making it up as you go, it is not imperfect.

Nature is imperfect, yet it feels natural and beautiful. You won’t find precise systems of defined proportions in nature, yet it works.

Consistency is a quality of a great designer. Imperfection is a quality of a world-class designer.

The trick is having just the right amount of imperfection. Too much and it looks out of place. A little could feel beautiful, unconstrained and alive.

I still struggle with this concept in practice.
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iefan 🕊️ 2y ago

Thank you for sharing this. I don't think I fully understand it, but I can see the direction.

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HoloKat 2y ago

Apple designs are a good example. If you look at their marketing materials, they break many “deign rules” yet the end result is remarkable. It’s a trademark of a world class designer and it’s super hard to mimic.

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nobody 2y ago

They also got a few things right that nobody else did, or got it right first. There’s a lot to be said about priorities.

The menu bar on macOS comes to mind…

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iefan 🕊️ 2y ago

Good example, thank you