To be clear, this is focused on
visual design. Arguably more important for developers is to think about the
user. What problem does the user have, and how do your various choices impact their ability to solve that problem with the least amount of suffering possible.
Visual design is important — a pleasing site can have actual usability and accessibility impacts. But to paraphrase Steve Jobs, great design isn’t just what it looks like — it’s how it works.
I say important for developers because when we’re creating something it can be easy to make decisions that are easy for us, but not great for the user. (This is why solving your own problems is often recommended — if you’re passionate about the problem, and you yourself are a user, you’ll by nature make better decisions.)
While visual design is important, applying a nice coat of paint to an otherwise miserable UX won’t solve any problems.
Visual design is important — a pleasing site can have actual usability and accessibility impacts. But to paraphrase Steve Jobs, great design isn’t just what it looks like — it’s how it works.
I say important for developers because when we’re creating something it can be easy to make decisions that are easy for us, but not great for the user. (This is why solving your own problems is often recommended — if you’re passionate about the problem, and you yourself are a user, you’ll by nature make better decisions.)
While visual design is important, applying a nice coat of paint to an otherwise miserable UX won’t solve any problems.