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
383: Invisible Design [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:10
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 VI…
382: Designing Phygital Experiences [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:59
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:SherriKe…
381: Scope Creep [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:24
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 Patro…
380: Designing WhatsApp ft. Priyanka Kodikal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:55
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 qu…
379: Shipping Personal Projects [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:35
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 CorscaddenMartin Marič…
378: 2020 Clipstravaganza! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:33
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…
377: Future-Proof Designer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:12
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…
376: Shipping Quality UI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:07
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 CrowleyYannickMegan LearnC. AndersonJ…
375: Reconsidering Consistency [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:56
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 NegiAlyssa ZhangTiffany C YuAleksandra…
374: End of the Mac Era? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:01
This week, we discuss the future of designing on Macs. Are we moving to a PC-dominated future in the field? In The Sidebar we nit pick through the latest changes in Figma's Auto Layout v3.Latest VIP Patrons:Maxime Daraiz…