401: Three Dots

401: Three Dots

Author: Brian Lovin, Marshall Bock June 12, 2021 Duration: 39:29

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 software. We love the small floating heads and emphasis on making it easy to work alongside the video call, rather than constantly having to app switch.

You can get started for free by signing up at Around.co!


Latest VIP Patrons:

  • Trí Nguyễn
  • Michael Wang
  • Justin Watts
  • Michael Goliver
  • Baruch Pi
  • Tara Urso

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.


Followup:

  • Sean Sullivan tweeted: IMO Software can be finished. Think about software that ships on non Internet connected devices. We used to always ‘finish’ software products pre-SaaS. Big examples today would be secure embedded software systems.
  • Charmie Kapoor mentioned us as one of her top 3 podcasts for design and product – thank you!

Main Topic:

This week, we talk about three dot menus, the now-ubiquitous interface element that can be conveniently used to hide secondary and tertiary functions. We rant about the spread of the three dot virus and discuss potential alternatives to avoid it.


Cool Things:

  • Brian shared the Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop, a gorgeous, albeit expensive, band for your Apple Watch.
  • Marshall shared Inside, a New Tragedy from Bo Burnham. It’s beautifully written and performed, but very sad and poignant. A masterpiece.

Design Details on the Web:


Byeee!


Every week, Brian Lovin and Marshall Bock settle in for a thoughtful, often meandering chat that pulls back the curtain on how things are made. Their Design Details podcast lives in the rich space where technology and the arts intersect, focusing less on polished case studies and more on the real, sometimes messy, work of design. You’ll hear them dissect the nuances of product decisions, debate the evolving culture of creative teams, and share personal stories from their own experiences in the industry. It feels less like a lecture and more like eavesdropping on a conversation between two deeply knowledgeable friends. The discussions regularly venture into the philosophical side of craft, examining why certain choices resonate and how design shapes our daily interactions with the world. For anyone curious about the thinking behind the pixels and interfaces, this show offers a consistent, grounded perspective. Tuning in provides a sense of community and a candid look at the process, making it a staple for designers and creators who appreciate substance over flash.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Design Details
Podcast Episodes
444: Writing Effective Self-Reviews [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:03
This week, we share our tips for writing better self-reviews during performance review season.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month…
443: Design Systems Interviews [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:00
This week, we talk about interviewing for roles in design systems, what to prepare, and how many different kinds of skills are relevant in the field.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon…
442: It Doesn't Have to Be Right [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:00
This week, we share stories and lessons from some of our most memorable mentors.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to…
441: WWDC 2022 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:12
This week, we recap all of our favorite...design details...announced at this week's WWDC.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for a…
440: Don’t Call It a Design Critique [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:47
This week, we talk about how to make design critiques more fun, and how to encourage teams to share their work-in-progress more often.Supported by:Play — Play is the first native iOS design tool built for creating mobile…
439: Config 2022 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:59
This week, we cover all of the exciting new releases from Config 2022, and do a deep dive into the new version of Auto Layout.Supported by:Clay — Clay is the beautiful and private home for all your relationships. Populat…
438: Dissecting Substack’s Podcast Player [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:18
This week, we dissect Substack’s new podcast player design, talking about both the pixels and the strategic advantage of sharing craft-specific content on Twitter. In the Sidebar, we talk about the nature and risks of cr…
437: Scaling Design Critique [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:34
This week, we talk about methods to scale design critiques with a growing team. In the Sidebar, we dig into the...details...of Figma's latest UI changes which added file type icons to file tabs.Golden Ratio Supporters:Ze…
436: Reclaiming Your Focus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:25
This week, we share our tips and strategies for reclaiming our focus to do deep design work. In the Sidebar, we revisit last week's conversation about the value of ideas and finding the right time to share an idea with t…
435: New Feature Launch Checklist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:40
This week, we share the checklist that we use when launching new features to make sure we’re not missing certain states, flows, or edge cases. In the Sidebar, we talk about working in public and the risk of people steali…