What we’re about
how can engineers (or anyone) get better at design?
i get this question a lot. as someone who went from cs to design, here's a real path:
start with systems thinking
engs already get this. design is just systems for humans & our senses, instead of machines. read “thinking in systems” if you haven't.
learn the fundamentals
there are systems we humans evolved for centuries to visually present and receive information. you cannot escape these even for the cli:
- typography — start with “details in typography” by jost hochuli
- color basics — start with “interaction of color” by josef albers
- grid systems — start with “grid systems” by josef müller-brockmann
- visual hierarchy, reading rhythm, symbols & conceptual systems, motion, accessibility, … — you’ll pick more up as you go
open your eyes & brain
look at things around you, digital and natural. observe the beauty and sameness in everything. think why is it made this way. make connections between what you observe and what you think and make. break away from rigidity, linear thinking, let loose. stare at the sky, do nothing. see through everything.
then just start making stuff
now that you notice things, try to make things better, your way first. redesign apps you use daily. copy designs you love pixel by pixel — you'll learn more in a week than months of theory. then share it with others, get feedback, and design for more people.
key mindset shift: feelings first
stop optimizing for the computer, start optimizing for the human. engineers think in edge cases and error states. designers think in happy paths and emotions. the feelings and how things fold together ends up to be way more important to humans than the edge cases.
tools don't matter much
Figma is industry standard. learn it in a weekend (it’s basically visual flexbox). use Cursor to dismantle and prototype with existing design systems and study how they are built — frontends go deep.
most important: find your design voice through constraints. pick one great typeface, limited color palette, and make 10 different layouts. constraints breed creativity. iteration is how you get there.
great engineers already understand systems, logic, and problem-solving. just need to apply that to human concepts and problems instead of technical ones.
start tomorrow. redesign your personal website or a simple app. ship it. share it. repeat.
https://x.com/ryolu_/status/1952759102058242253