Make your ideas look awesome, without relying on a designer.
Learn how to design beautiful user interfaces by yourself using specific tactics explained from a developer's point-of-view.
I've just started going through this material and it's an amazing resource that I'll be using daily. Can't wait to make it all the way through the book and videos.
Pros:Such great content
Cons:Is more content possible?
Everyone who works on the web should understand design: software developers, product managers, etc...
This is the best resource I've found on the topic.
Pros:A no-brainer for web professionals
Cons:Why didn't I think of this? 😜
Read this book in one go. It only took 1.5 hours, which is something other books should aspire to achieve. I don't know that I've ever consumed that much knowledge about a topic in such a short time. It's really packed full of actionable tips.
Pros:Extremely actionable
Cons:Steve doesn't have time to design my app
I bought the whole package. This teaches you to make better and logical design decisions and to create a design system that makes sense and will look really good. I think it will make most designers better.
1) They clearly know their stuff and teach it in a very easy to consume manner. If you are starting off or are doing things by gut-feelings, this is worth the full price as it will make you a much better designer.
2) It is advertised as 250 pages. It is 252, but to get to that number, they included 32 blank pages throughout the book. Maybe that's normal, but it kind of bothers me. I'm sure 220 pages would have sounded just as good.
3) You can consume it all in a 2-4 hours, which makes the price seem quite high when you can buy $12 Udemy courses with 12 hours of videos.
4) I wanted to see much more on what to do and not to do for usability on forms. There is tiny bit in the book and some more on it in the videos, but a lot more could be said. That seemed like an important section that was missing, and is a place where it is easy to make a lot of mistakes. At this price, I expect it to be there.
5) It seems very odd that the color palettes and component gallery add-ons, are PDF files instead of more useful and usable Sketch files.
6) If they had included their component gallery as a HTML/CSS framework I could actually use, then it would have felt like great value for the money.
For me, the first half was pretty basic - though still things designers get wrong all the time, and I wish I had learned years ago from a book like this. In the second half, the color stuff and some of the font stuff was quite useful and I'll change the way I use color from now on. I've kept meaning to research that, so it is the one area I knew nothing about.
I also knew that upping my game on systemizing my designs was the next step for me, and that after reading this, I won't put it off anymore.
Final thoughts:
I ended up asking for a refund... reluctantly, as I want to build a design system based on it, but for ~$150, it irks me too much that a useable one wasn't included. I just wish it came with files you can just use instead of pictures of files! If it came with componentized Sketch or Figma files, I wouldn't dream of returning it. As it is, that omission makes it feel to me like not enough product for such a premium price.
UPDATE:
When they processed my refund, they told me that Sketch versions of the resources are coming. So, now I have to buy it again. That's the tipping point. Also, I discovered that neither Sketch or Figma use HSL to choose colour, which is what they recommend. So, need to find a workaround as their reasons make a lot of sense.
Pros:UI Beginner? Buy this to start off from a very solid footing and avoid wasting ages of trial and error, researching, and mistakes.
Cons:Experienced? You figured out some of it already. Would like to see more on forms, and wish it had usable files instead of PDF resources.
Seriously, Adam and Steve have done such an amazing job with this book, and all the bonus content. They have agonized over all the little details. BUY IT!
Pros:This book contains a ton of super practical design tips geared specifically for developers and will make you a WAY BETTER WEB DESIGNER.
Cons:It didn't exist 10 years ago. 😜
Really dig reading this book!
I was suppose to be working and I ended up reading the entire book in 4 hours because the learning point is just soo good.
The chapters kept me going and It's so easy to read! It's actually the first book that I've managed to read through the end without falling asleep!
Colour concepts is the best! I was never able to understand it as well as this before. Thanks Adam and Steve! It's worth every penny! Now I fully understood HSL and HSB :)
Pros:Lots of graphic to state their point.
Each chapter has no fluff. Just the right amount of words to explain the concept.
Cons:Cant have enough insights of their designs!
The content in the series is A+. For real. Super useful stuff. The main book is a PDF document that looks like it was put together quickly. At this price point, one has a higher expectation of quality. Additionally, the videos have an annoying house-music loop playing in the background that completely distracts me when I try to watch them. They are nearly unusable IMO.
Pros:Succinct, impactful lessons on visual design for UI.
Cons:Main book is a PDF - ebook format would be better. Videos have annoying music playing in the background.
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