416: UI Reviews and QA

416: UI Reviews and QA

Author: Brian Lovin, Marshall Bock October 20, 2021 Duration: 22:33

This week, we talk about our processes for reviewing UI and making sure that things are shipping as close to spec as possible. In The Sidebar, we recap Apple’s Unleashed event, sharing our favorite moments and spicy takes.

Golden Ratio Supporters:

Sympli builds design version control and developer handoff tools to help teams collaborate on screen designs. Check out their design-to-development plugins for all major design tools, including a version control app for Sketch, Sympli.io.

Play is the first native iOS design tool made for teams creating mobile products. Design, prototype, and collaborate, directly from your phone. With Play you can experience your design as you create it while taking full advantage of native iOS features not found in other design and prototyping tools. Play is currently looking for talented iOS Engineers to join their team — apply here!

Plume empowers a billion smart devices in homes and small businesses through a suite of adaptive WiFi, AI security, and parental control. They're hiring product designers to build the future of smart home services. They're hiring product designers with 2-5 years of experience shipping products — learn more at designdetails.fm/plume. Oh, and they just raised a $270m series E, so now's the time!

Latest VIP Patrons:

  • Daniel Di Giandomenico
  • Klaus Cho
  • Abhisek Mishra
  • Karina Kassimanova
  • Mackenzie Nason
  • Raphael Essoo-Snowdon
  • Nikol Chen

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, we talk about our processes for reviewing UI and making sure that things are shipping as close to spec as possible.

For the last year, my work has gotten the QA people to do UI reviews, which has been difficult, because they don't have the visual and technical training. They also don't know CSS to be able to make specifications, nor are they able to update the design system.

They very often miss things that I have to create a ticket to be fixed later, and spend so much time in communication when asking me to check their work, that I might as well have reviewed it myself, and the time they spent trying to figure out an issue, could've been better used at doing what they're good at.

Unfortunately, I'm the only designer (out of a team of 20+ devs and several QA people), so they want me to focus on designing at a higher level (wireframes, mocks, etc.), not checking for minor details. I also haven't worked at a bigger company that has more than 1 designer, so am wondering how does it work at other companies? Any shared processes / experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Cool Things:

  • Brian shared Succession, a well-made show about terrible people.
  • Marshall shared Twelve Minutes, an interactive thriller-puzzle game about a man trapped in a time loop.

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
464: AI Grab Bag [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:27
This week, we talk about Open AI's GPTs-as-apps strategy, FigJam's AI tools, and our dreams for a future Jarvis-like experience.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can s…
463: Design Medley, Vol. 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:13
This week, we talk about the delicate art of using animation in interface design, how to use button sizes, and managing margins in type styles.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon suppor…
462: Refactoring a Design System [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:33
This week, Marshall breaks down his process, tips, and tricks to redesign a design system in Figma.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per m…
461: Config and WWDC 2023 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:06
This week, we supply some cold (but thoughtful!) takes on everything released during last month's WWDC and Config 2023.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe…
460: Arc Boosts ft. Gabriel Valdivia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:21
This week, we dissect the recently-launched Arc Boosts to try and understand what they're for and where they're going.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe s…
459: What Is Humane? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:27
This week, we talk about Humane's latest product demo and what we think it means for the future of AI-powered personal devices.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can su…
458: How Do You Simplify a UI? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:18
This week, we share non-obvious tips and tricks for simplifying a UI.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 conte…
457: How to Find Focus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:20
This week, we talk about finding focus when there are infinite things to learn to become a better designer.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at…
456: Should Designers Name Their Layers? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:53
This week, we fight about whether designers should name their layers (without saying "it depends").The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per m…
455: Shift Happens ft. Marcin Wichary [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:06
This week, we talked with Marcin Wichary about Shift Happens, a book about keyboards. We dive into the details of the book, its publication, website, and more.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for ou…