This week, we talk with Justin Stahl about visual design and craft, the impact of design systems and tools on the visual landscape, tactical tips for a stronger design interview, and much more. In The Sidebar, we ask Justin about the best advice he’s ever received, becoming a manager, and knowing when it’s time to switch teams. Latest VIP Patrons: Matt Turpin Nushaine Ferdinand Paul Hernandez Chandni Luhadiya Justin Wagoner Altay Kira Aldrin Fernandez Anna Zhandarovich Paweł Ludwiczak Nikki Alex...
Jul 14, 2021•59 min•Ep. 405
This week, we talk about the confidence gradient, how we’ve built confidence over time, and the funny circumstances that can take us out of our element. In The Sidebar, we share our first impressions of Windows 11 and talk about the growing convergence of operation system designs. Golden Ratio Supporter: Around Around is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating...
Jun 30, 2021•28 min•Ep. 404
This week, we dig into the best way to think about margin and padding in your component system. In The Sidebar, we break down the basics of design advising and angel investing. Golden Ratio Supporter: Around Around is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat software. We love the small floating heads and emphasis on ma...
Jun 23, 2021•24 min•Ep. 403
This week, we talk about a ubiquitous design crutch: the three dot menu. We examine the spread of this pattern and discuss potential solutions to avoid it. In The Sidebar, we recap WWDC 2021 and dive deep into our favorite announcements. Golden Ratio Supporter: Around Around is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat ...
Jun 12, 2021•39 min•Ep. 402
This week, we try to answer a simple question: is software ever finished? In The Sidebar, we talk money: compounding, investing, negotiating, planning, and more. Golden Ratio Supporter: Around Around is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat software. We love the small floating heads and emphasis on making it easy to...
Jun 02, 2021•26 min•Ep. 401
This week, we talk about how the framework Strong Opinions, Weakly Held can be used to effectively critique visual design. In The Sidebar, we recap Google I/O 2021, discussing our favorite announcements, Material You, and the wild future of computers. Latest VIP Patrons: Javier Alaves Ash Oliver “Easily pronounceable” Michael Wilkins Mark Lee Zlatan Hajrudinovic Derek Betty Lau Ke Sun Alex Miller The Sidebar: The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscrib...
May 26, 2021•39 min•Ep. 400
This week, we dig into two frameworks for leveling up at work: Proof of Curiosity and The Helpful Hierarchy. Whether you’re looking for more accountability, want to stand out in a job interview, or just want to be more intentional with your professional growth, we think these frameworks will help. Golden Ratio Supporter: Around Around is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distractin...
May 19, 2021•23 min•Ep. 399
This week, we talk about the tension between building what customers explicitly ask for versus building towards a team’s internal vision. In The Sidebar, we talk about the lack of public software critique: Why isn’t there an MKBHD equivalent for software design? Golden Ratio Supporter: Around Around is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that co...
May 12, 2021•23 min•Ep. 398
This week, we discuss the things we’ve done in our design careers that have had an outsized impact on our professional growth. In The Sidebar, we talk about the anatomy of icons and how that anatomy affects user interfaces. Golden Ratio Supporter: Around Around is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat software. We l...
May 05, 2021•29 min•Ep. 397
It’s event recap week! In this week’s episode we share our reactions to everything announced at Figma’s Config 2021. In The Sidebar, we dig into our favorite updates and the confusing head-scratchers announced at Apple’s Spring Loaded event. Golden Ratio Supporter: Around Around is a better way to video call. It’s designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups together to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video c...
Apr 28, 2021•39 min•Ep. 396
This week, we caught up with Joey Banks to talk about contributing to open source design. In the Sidebar, we ask Joey bonus questions about ramping up in a new job, the design advocate role, and being Twitter famous. Latest VIP Patrons: Chris Barrett Amanda Liam Mews The Sidebar: The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus content going forward! Sign up at patreon.com/designdetails . Main Topic: This week, ...
Apr 21, 2021•35 min•Ep. 395
This week, we talk about the hidden complexities of a designer’s favorite element: the button. In the Sidebar, we examine interfaces that defer moderation responsibilities onto the end user. Golden Ratio Supporter: Around Thank you to Around , a better way to video call. The product is designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that comes with most video chat software. We love the small floati...
Apr 14, 2021•31 min•Ep. 394
This week, we talk about how to become a more strategic designer: what should you be doing day to day, or thinking about more often? In The Sidebar, we talk about the downsides of using metaphors to describe the role of designers in building software. Golden Ratio Supporter: Around Thank you to Around , a better way to video call. The product is designed specifically to make it easier to gather small groups to collaborate in real time, without all the distracting and frustrating interfaces that ...
Apr 07, 2021•28 min•Ep. 393
This week, we share tips and best practices for senior designers who are presenting their work in a portfolio review. In The Sidebar, we break down the qualities of great typographic hierarchy in interface design. Golden Ratio Supporter: Mailbrew A huge shoutout to Mailbrew for supporting the show this week! Mailbrew is a personal daily digest for all the stuff you care about on the internet. We love it for delivering the top links and top tweets shared by the people we follow on Twitter, reduci...
Mar 31, 2021•30 min•Ep. 392
This week, we catch up with Kathryn Gonzalez, the Head of Design Infrastructure at DoorDash. We talk about building DoorDash’s first design system, how to scale a design systems team, balancing technical and design skills, how to become a better systems designer by learning outside of work, and much more. Golden Ratio Supporters: Mailbrew A huge shoutout to Mailbrew for supporting the show this week! Mailbrew is a personal daily digest for all the stuff you care about on the internet. We love it...
Mar 24, 2021•42 min•Ep. 391
This week, we talk about how to have better design reviews. Who, what, where, and when? We share our experiences, and frustrations, with certain formats and processes. In The Sidebar, we try to answer the question: WTF is up with NFTs? Golden Ratio Supporter: A huge shoutout to Mailbrew for supporting the show this week! Mailbrew is a personal daily digest for all the stuff you care about on the internet. We love it for delivering the top links and top tweets shared by the people we follow on Tw...
Mar 17, 2021•35 min•Ep. 390
This week, we cover part two of our design tips and tricks series. We talk about naming conventions, thinking in divs, structuring frames, and share a few Figma pro-tips. In The Sidebar, we talk about design content overload. Golden Ratio Supporter: A huge shoutout to Mailbrew for supporting the show this week! Mailbrew is a personal daily digest for all the stuff you care about on the internet. We love it for delivering the top links and top tweets shared by the people we follow on Twitter, red...
Mar 10, 2021•39 min•Ep. 389
This week, we dig into specific tips and tricks to level up your craft game: how to leverage tools to make faster iterations, stay organized, and allow your mocks to easily scale over time. In The Sidebar, we dig into how to give design critique without having full problem or product context. Golden Ratio Supporter: A huge shoutout to Copilot, the best app for budgeting and tracking your personal finances. It’s our favorite tool for categorizing our spending, having our net worth available at a ...
Mar 03, 2021•29 min•Ep. 388
This week, we talk about designing with grid systems. In particular: when grid systems break, and what to do when they don’t align with our hardware screens perfectly. In The Sidebar, we talk all about design debt: how to work with it, pay it down, and eventually learn to accept it. Golden Ratio Supporter: A huge shoutout to Copilot, the best app for budgeting and tracking your personal finances. It’s our favorite tool for categorizing our spending, having our net worth available at a glance, an...
Feb 24, 2021•25 min•Ep. 387
This week, we talk about strategies and tactical tips for elevating a team’s bar to design high quality interfaces. In The Sidebar, we talk about how to transition from web to mobile design. Golden Ratio Supporter: A huge shoutout to Copilot, the best app for budgeting and tracking your personal finances. It’s our favorite tool for categorizing our spending, having our net worth available at a glance, and getting monthly (and yearly!) digests of all your spending. Get the app at copilot.money . ...
Feb 17, 2021•30 min•Ep. 386
This week, we talk about the real struggle of finding the time to do North Star design. It’s complicated! In The Sidebar, we try to find the digital equivalent of a Norman Door. Golden Ratio Supporter: A huge shoutout to Copilot, the best app for budgeting and tracking your personal finances. It’s our favorite tool for categorizing our spending, having our net worth available at a glance, and getting monthly (and yearly!) digests of all your spending. Get the app at copilot.money . Latest VIP Pa...
Feb 10, 2021•30 min•Ep. 385
This week, we talk about “invisible design” – those products and experiences that go unnoticed when present, but would be immediately noticed if absent. In The Sidebar, we react to the new Tesla Model S refresh. Latest VIP Patrons: Ben Patton Grzegorz Danielle Schechter Havana Nguyen John Cafazza The Sidebar: The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https://patreon.com/d...
Feb 03, 2021•36 min•Ep. 384
This week, we talk about designing experiences that weave between meatspace and screens. In The Sidebar, Marshall gives a deep dive into using modifier keys to level up your Figma productivity. Latest VIP Patrons: Sherri Kevin Fernandez Veronica Jefferson Brian Mireles John Brady Jade Tuckey Cathy Guarino Will The Sidebar: The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to full episodes going forward! Sign up at https:/...
Jan 27, 2021•30 min•Ep. 383
This week, we dive into scope creep: how to deal with it, how to avoid it, and how to build its inevitability into our workflow. In The Sidebar, Marshall shares some Smart Office tips for working at home. Latest VIP Patrons: Kyle Conrad Julia Chuanyan Wu Eli Horne Kjartan Kennedy First Name Last Name Tri Nguyen Avni Levy Keli Natalie Krick peng zheng May Chen The Sidebar: The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access ...
Jan 20, 2021•24 min•Ep. 382
This week, we catch up with Priyanka Kodikal, a design manager leading consumer design at WhatsApp. We talk all about her journey as a designer, and what it's like building WhatsApp. In The Sidebar, we answer a simple question: should designers learn Figma in 2020? Latest VIP Patrons: Belinda Hui Nuzi Barkatally Eugene Fedorenko Mike Griffin UX Vietnam Sam Carden The Sidebar: The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for acc...
Jan 13, 2021•58 min•Ep. 381
This week, we talk through our playbook for shipping personal projects. In The Sidebar, we weigh the tradeoffs of building an online persona. Should designers thought lead? Latest VIP Patrons: Adrian Corscadden Martin Maričák Polina Sogolov Tereza Kavinska Eric Eng Kuldar Kelly Hagan Jameson Bryant Maxym Nesmashny Matt Kubota Adam Haas Zachary Schwartz yang shuo Gavin Nelson Hoodnun Shaun Smylski Jai Mitchell Alex Long Alona Sanbira Herculano Campos Pip Nguyen Natalie Tongprasearth Ray Canapini ...
Jan 06, 2021•32 min•Ep. 380
This week, we compiled all of our cold opens, stingers, and outtakes into a single 2020 Clipstravaganza! This is our final episode for 2020 – thank you everyone for listening and supporting us this year. We'll catch you in 2021! Design Details on the Web: 📻 We are @designdetailsfm 🎙 Brian is @brian_lovin 🎙 Marshall is @marshallbock 📬 Don't have Twitter? Email us at designdetailsfm@gmail.com 🙌 Support us on Patreon - your support literally makes this show possible. Thank you ❤️ ❓ Got a quest...
Dec 23, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 379
This week, we talk about the skills and tools that designers can learn to become future-proof. In The Sidebar, we share our impressions, tips, and best practices for using Figma Variants. Latest VIP Patrons: Jesper Andrell David Nikita Khapankov Keyla Rodriguez Tanner Woodworth Josh Miles Jason Zurita John Thachil Katherine R Ross PW Timothy Grady Congdon Jon Wood The Sidebar: The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for ac...
Dec 16, 2020•26 min•Ep. 378
This week, we talk about tips and processes for shipping a high quality UI. In The Sidebar, we discuss the Silicon Valley trend of job hopping every few years. Latest VIP Patrons: Matt Crowley Yannick Megan Learn C. Anderson John Tyrrell Matt Makaran John-George Sample James Bartlett Kramer Canfield James Smet Katu Muadinohamba Sophie Bond Graham Bushell Renata Venturini Alex Binder Johnny Terlaje Jason Yoo The Sidebar: The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You c...
Dec 09, 2020•21 min•Ep. 377
This week, we talk about the tradeoffs and considerations of designing for consistency. In The Sidebar, we share tips and strategies for starting a podcast. Latest VIP Patrons: Ashish Negi Alyssa Zhang Tiffany C Yu Aleksandra Strączek Richard Picot Sam Olendi Kamil Lafere Jackie Carr Joaquin Kunkel Fabian Valkenberg Belén Lozano Ruobing Chen Ryhan Hassan Jesse Box Thomas Bishop Oscar Newman David Bill The Sidebar: The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can sub...
Dec 02, 2020•39 min•Ep. 376
