Essay · 8 minute read

Why Design

Julie Zhuo · The Year of the Looking Glass Free Beginner

Facebook's first design VP explains what design actually is beneath the surface of pretty screens. She frames it as solving a real problem for a real person, which reframes the whole should-I-learn-Figma question. It is a short, calming read for a founder anxious that they are not a designer.

  • Design is problem solving for people, not decoration
  • Caring about the user's experience is the core skill, tools are secondary
  • You do not need a design degree to design thoughtfully
Open on medium.com ↗

It answers 2 questions

  1. Should I learn Figma, and how much design do I really need?
  2. Why does good design actually matter for an early-stage startup?

Read with it

  1. Design tactics written specifically for developers and non-designers who need to ship good-looking UI without a design... refactoringui.com Book · ~250 pages Refactoring UI Adam Wathan & Steve Schoger
  2. Video · 18 minutes Design for Startups (Part 1) Garry Tan
  3. The single best thing ever written on customer conversations. It teaches you to ask about the customer's life and past... momtestbook.com Book · ~130 pages The Mom Test Rob Fitzpatrick
  4. The most accessible, practical intro to usability ever written, you can read it in a weekend and immediately fix your product.... sensible.com Book · ~200 pages Don't Make Me Think, Revisited Steve Krug
  5. The single most-cited usability framework in the field, from the definitive UX research authority. A checklist you can hold... Nielsen Norman Group Article · ~15 min read 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design Jakob Nielsen
  6. The foundational text on human-centered design that every product person should read once. It rewires how you see every... jnd.org / Basic Books Book · ~350 pages The Design of Everyday Things Don Norman
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