Stickies #3: The hidden effort behind good design
3 bits of wisdom worth sharing this week
This week’s stickies are all about the hidden work that makes good design feel effortless.
From the unseen complexity of Google Maps to Don Norman’s insights on intuitive design, and the notion that the more you polish something, the less noticeable it becomes.
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#1 – UX is more than just design
Love the piece by the former Google Maps designer,
! She shared insights about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into designing Google Maps. What we see as a tiny icon depicting a coffee shop is so much more than that. The work runs much deeper—making the user experience happen isn’t just about design. It involves other stuff like: licensing deals, data partnerships, and infrastructure systems.Creating a great user experience is a true team effort, not just the work of those labeled as a 'designer.'
#2 – Good design is invisible
Another quote comes from Don Norman’s well-known book, The Design of Everyday Things. I’m sure you are familiar with the “Norman door”. This shows how bad design can confuse people and lead to mistakes. Good design feels natural and intuitive, while bad design needs instructions, signs, or trial and error just to figure out how to use it.
#3 – Polish = Doing designer-knows-what
In the same spirit as Don Norman’s quote, Matthew Strom, a former lead designer for Stripe and The Wall Street Journal, echoed this idea: the more you polish something, the less noticeable it becomes. Only the designer truly knows the countless decisions and painstaking effort it takes to make a product feel seamless, natural, and great.
Until next time.
Cheers,
Thomas
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