Today I completed my 30th day of a daily UI challenge.
What I’ve learned so far…
Focus on the basics first
I am already looking back at some of my earlier projects with regret. Why did I try to do so much there? Why did I use so much color or that font? I love using color and bold graphics but its important to step back and make sure that your design is well aligned with proper hierarchy before embellishing it with more details. Which brings me to my next point…
K.I.S.S.
I had a very colorful history teacher in high school who regularly told us to “Keep it simple, stupid”. While he may have felt that his advice was falling on deaf ears trying to teach a room full of disinterested 16-year olds about Ancient Mesopotamia, I still remember a few of his gems. The same goes for design. There is a saying that good design is invisible. Many of us encounter good design in our lives on a daily basis while using apps, reading news articles, or on product packaging. I’ve started making it a point to stop and think about what I like about certain products or apps that I use and really notice the design.
Don’t be afraid to experiment
The fun thing about making one screen per day as a design exercise is that it is a good way to learn about different design styles. Maybe I don’t want to make a whole app of skeuomorphic screens but I can try one screen and move on to something else the next day. Or I can experiment with some graphic design and create a graphic that is unique and fits the theme of the screen I am working on.
Get eyes on your work
This can be intimidating at first, I know. It is hard to put yourself out there. Fellow former art students know that it is a regular part of life: a “crit” short for critique where you hang your work on the wall and the professor goes through them one by one and allows students to comment on the work or asks individuals to explain their art. Once you get past the intimidation, it is very helpful to have other perspectives on your work. Sometimes you stare at the same screen for hours and you stop to really see it as much as someone who is looking at it with fresh eyes for the first time.
Find your tribe
As an extension of my last point, I have found it to be so helpful to be surrounded by others who are learning, hustling, experimenting, and motivated to get better. Being in a group of people who are all working towards a similar goal somehow lifts me up and motivates me to get better, spend more time on my design, follow through with an idea that I didn’t think I could make work, and more. My tribe is the https://hype4.academy/ daily UI challenge and corresponding Slack group. Join us!
Move on
Lastly, not everything will work. Sometimes I don’t want to submit a design because something feels off and I didn’t exactly hit the mark. So what. Submit your design, get feedback, and move on to the next one. Maybe when I am done with 90 days I will go back and fix things in earlier challenges. Or maybe I will just take what I have learned and look at my designs as an example of how far I have come. Either way, that will be just fine.
Thank you for reading! Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn, Behance, and Dribbble. 💜
