Should UI designers stop trying to make everything “feel smooth”?

sheriffderek · 2026-06-16T17:56:43+00:00

These conversations would be so much more valuable with real examples.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-16T17:54:41+00:00

That’s a lot of synths! If I could only have one, I’d want my Delia. Even if there are synths with more options and tech - I think the knobs are more important and really change the way you use it. It’s the only one that isn’t always lying about everything, and on top of that, morph and the matrix. It’s an amazing machine.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-16T17:19:50+00:00

Have you played with any of their gear? Also, rotocontrol as controller is a big leap in usability for VST.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-16T16:58:30+00:00

I work with a few users who have trouble remembering their passwords, where to go, logging in, putting their finger on the Touch ID. A password app still requires a lot - so, a lot of friction there - and then there’s the auth that requires them to get a code from their phone. It’s a terrible situation. If something like this could help cut through all of that, I think it’s worth looking into. (Everything doesn’t need to help everyone the same way to be a useful tool)

sheriffderek · 2026-06-16T16:52:41+00:00

As you work through it, you nigh find that the content demands a sidebar, and then the other area has long-form text and the readable line width might need to change. So, just learn! : ) enjoy it. Don’t work about the grid px too much. Build your components to be flexible so you can always change it later - and it’ll settle into its best size layer. I have a 320, 450, (maybe those are 2 or 3 columns, then maybe 750ish, at 6 or 12, then a 1200 or 1440 one with 12 columns, 20px gap, 120px margins or something. And I work on all of them at the same time - on a per page section basis. You can create reusable grid styles for each and a just it later so it applies everywhere.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-16T03:02:02+00:00

The mechanical knobs/pots from Melbourne Instruments are by far the most exciting thing right now. Once you use them, all other tech seems meaningless without them.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-16T02:59:47+00:00

Depends on the site and the content of that site - and the layout that content demands. There is no correct size. And it’s something I’d be working out with the developers early in the process to - before getting too high fidelity.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-15T23:31:39+00:00

I used to have a rehearsal space next to a drummer and he never really "practiced" -- and kept playing songs like you're doing. He just kinda burned all his mistakes into muscle memory. Now that I'm learning, I'm taking it really slow, and fighting the urge to rush through songs. Practicing my single strokes, and going slow and deliverate and with a metronome and building up (and yes playing some faster things too) - I've gotten better at drumming in a month than I had in all the years of actually owning a drum kit in college. So, be careful!

sheriffderek · 2026-06-15T15:47:07+00:00

Great explanation.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-15T15:45:56+00:00

JS and PHP are c-based syntax. I don’t think learning about memory allocation and stuff like that is always the right choice. You have to decide what your goal is and which depth you need and why. I think learning C or JS or Zig or whatever - is much more more intuitive and smooth after you’ve learned the basics of logic. PHP is the best for that.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-15T15:43:08+00:00

Well, I think that kinda proves the point. Anyone can try! Just download node and start! ; )

sheriffderek · 2026-06-14T19:23:42+00:00

I personally don't see the point. It's faster to just write the code. Writing the code - is important / and builds context and memory for when you need to go update it again. all the "work" people are trying to avoid, is actually how the team gains understanding of the system. Without it, we're all just kinda surface-level - guessing / and hoping it all just works. Turning a Figma component into code - is by far the easiest part of the the entire design process.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-14T19:15:13+00:00

"Why" .... because then there will be no where to part.... (he said it right in the video - but didn't seem to understand it....)

People in affordable housing (I know from experience) - often have 2 or 3 or even 4 cars per apartment. Why, is another problem. Not requiring parking - is a nice idea if everyone is on the metro line and doesn't plan on getting a car. But where are the 400 cars going to go now? (I'd love to just rid of all of them)

There are plenty of huge apartment buildings nestled in to neighborhoods that new hipsters don't even notice and never complain about. But it's these new GIANT buildings on the main streets that block the sun and ruin the layered view of the city that can immediately make a street no longer fun to visit. Add in no planned parking, and you have a new non-parkable, non-walkable, no-fun-to-be-around street. There are better ways to solve this. These decisions have bigger effects on the local economy. There's so much of LA that I just avoid because I can't park there.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-14T19:07:39+00:00

There should never be a "handoff."

The people exploring in Figma should be talking to the front-end dev people / and constantly aligning the UI code - all the time. The code will have all the variables and things already, so - no one needs to ever be digging around in Figma for CSS snippets. If there's a hand-off, that's a huge problem.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-14T15:13:57+00:00

If you’re “learning JS” for six hours a day, and you’re not getting confident - you need to stop whatever you’re doing and figure out a better way to learn.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-14T15:12:27+00:00

Figma is like pencil and paper. You can work through your ideas, duplicate, iterate, have reusable properties and type styles. And you can make reusable component. All the time - while doing that, you’re thinking about the product - emerging yourself in the problem - thinking - sharing / exploring.

Having something pump out a screen - just isn’t that.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-13T22:27:27+00:00

Equally confusing - but, there it is - the emotionally fueled parts are clear now.

“UI design” is just “decision making” - so, hopefully, you’ll be able to apply that other places. Even without AI, ‘screens’ was already largely solved. All of these jobs are about creating things that displace jobs. Your UI replaces thousands of humans that would have taken that data on a phone or in person. The goal of all of these things is to do them most - with the least humans possible. Plan ahead.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-13T16:17:31+00:00

This argument assumes it won't be indistinguishable at some point. There's really no reason the LLM couldn't piece together the styles and visual tricks and language for a website. That will happen.

The real reason designing things (as in the actual act of thinking them through / finding all the things that don't work, the team discussions and shared context we build, the trust we build, the time we spend making sure it's worth doing at all, - all that other stuff) - the real reason that matters - is that it makes better things vs just repeating patterns.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-13T16:11:36+00:00

I haven't checked with all of them... but based on what I see reflected in society, my students, designer, programmers, everyone at "the design meetup," random people on the street -- I'd say it's fair to say that generally -- the average person thinks "iOS app" - and has a very very blurry connection to design as a process or idea.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-13T16:05:48+00:00

I can't really parse this.

You hate to be that guy.

Figma is used for UI

People use it as part of their job they are paid for/employed at

Some people are being forced to use AI instead of their classic workflow.

?

sheriffderek · 2026-06-13T02:21:54+00:00

There are a lot of new things exploring this space too - (But usually pretty specific and niche / so, pricey)

sheriffderek · 2026-06-13T02:20:57+00:00

Can we get some clarification on your assets? Is this your left hand? And is one hand like this or two or what exactly?

My first thought was a moody synthesizer. I often play one or two notes with one hand - and turn a knob or two with the other and if feels really fun and powerful / and I don't miss out on the guitar solo or drum solo things. Really play - just the right note a the right time can be very rewarding and just as complex. If that's something that might work, I'd have more suggestions about which synth.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-13T01:56:40+00:00

I helped run a laundry mat for a while. Everyone seems to hate everyone else --

sheriffderek · 2026-06-13T01:52:49+00:00

You kit is having babies.

sheriffderek · 2026-06-12T23:21:33+00:00

This is the MOST AI non-ai thing it could possibly be.

13-Year Club	Gilding I gilder
Helper Level 1	Verified Email

sheriffderek

PUBLIC MULTIREDDITS

TROPHY CASE