423: What We Learned in 2021

423: What We Learned in 2021

Author: Brian Lovin, Marshall Bock December 16, 2021 Duration: 48:33

This week, we recap how we grew, and the things we learned, in 2021. In The Sidebar, we look forward to 2022 and talk about some of our personal and professional goals for the new year.

Sponsor:

Patreon is hiring product designers in San Francisco and New York City. Today, Patreon is at the heart of the creator economy. In the last 8 years, the product has grown to support more than 250k creators, who are collectively supported by more than 8 million patrons. So far, Patreon has paid out more than $2.5 billion to creators, and are now on pace to pay out over $100 million every month.

Patreon's design team is small, but growing. The opportunity for impact on the product, and on millions of creators and patrons around the world, can't be overstated. The team is dedicated to leveling up the craft of Patreon's products, shipping beautiful experiences, and building the best tools to help anyone make a living on the internet.

If you're a designer looking for your next level up, get in touch with Patreon's design team and tell them we sent you!

Golden Ratio Supporters:

Patreon — Patreon is hiring product designers in San Francisco and New York City to build the future of the creator economy. Join their small team and level up today.

Sympli — Sympli Pulse is a version tracking application for Figma that lets you and your team clearly understand what's going on — even with hundreds of frames, components and design files — and answer the most painful questions about who changed what and why, adding context to your design decisions. Find Pulse in Figma Community. Learn more at Sympli.io.

Play — 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. Full access invites available for the first 25 people here!

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.

Latest VIP Patrons:

  • Sean McGuigan
  • Aislinn Kelly
  • Petteri Tiilikka
  • Eric
  • Katie Chen
  • Gabe de la Mora
  • Jonathan
  • Sander Kalmus
  • Y. Chen
  • Miranda Lemmer

Follow up:

  • Complainisode follow up:
    • Graham Connell tweeted: To pile on to the complainisode, animations that take way too long drives me nuts! Like a hover animation that takes a full second to complete. AHHHH
    • Antonija Pek tweeted: complain episode...Apps not having dark mode (ahem @figmadesign), electron apps that suck all the RAM, services that are US only, everything is now subscription based...To name a few
    • Brian wrote about iMessage spam workflows.

Main Topic:

This week, we recap where we grew, and the things we learned, in 2021.

Cool Things:

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
454: Is UI Design Actually That Important? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:48
This week, we answer a crucial question: is UI design actually that important? Our answer may shock you 🫢The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1…
453: Building a Type Stack [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:25
This week, we discuss strategies for building an excellent type stack in your designs.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for acce…
452: Design Trends for 2023 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:51
This week, we discuss current visual design trends and how the web will look in 2023.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for acces…
451: The Whole Twitter Thing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:49
This week, we talk about the whole Twitter thing, and how we'd handle the verified badge design debacle.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1…
450: Designing Hefty Interfaces [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:18
This week, we talk about what gives software the feeling of heft and the effect of that feeling on how customers perceive the value of a tool.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon support…
449: Google Pixel 7 Event [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:54
This week, we recap Google's Pixel 7 Event and dig into our favorite design details of the new Pixel phone, tablet, and watch.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can sub…
448: News Desk, Vol. 5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:03
This week, we break down new Figma features, dissect the Live Activities HIG, and share our cool-takes on the Adobe + Figma acquisition.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. Y…
447: Stranded on Dynamic Island [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:46
This week, we share our hot takes and first impressions of the new Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 p…
446: Grab Bag, Vol. 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:44
This week, we share our preferred naming convention for design files and react to the new Gmail redesign.The Sidebar:The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1…
445: Designing the Perfect Desk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:27
This week, we talk about a surprising new "smart desk" being shared online, and we talk about what our dream desk would look like. In the Sidebar, Marshall shares his tips and tricks for keeping his Figma files squeaky c…