Craft in Design: Why should I care?
The distinctive quality
Design is everywhere, from simple everyday objects like my old refrigerator and Hario V60 coffee filter to sophisticated electronic products. However, not all designs are created equal. Some are good, some are mediocre, and some are simply terrible.
I remember the first time I realized that a product had something different from all the others. I was around 13 years old when I saw a Macintosh for the first time. I know it's a cliché example, but in the mid-2000s, Apple launched devices that were very different from its competitors. Each element was combined to create an outstanding product, from the operating system to the external and internal design of the hardware, the colors, cables, and packaging. And, of course, the welcome video.
There was clearly a decision at the highest level of that company that defined that it was essential to care about these details so that users like me could feel those emotions when experiencing the product. This intrinsic value of the company endures to this day, even if they don't always get it right. This attention to detail and quality has inspired several companies, and many other examples are out there. Although it is no longer a differential as it was in the past, it persists.
This approach to product development is an excellent example of caring about the craft at every level. The professionals who designed every single bit of that product had the space and incentive to go beyond the ordinary. And after several iterations, they came up with an incredible result.
Craft in Digital Products
In digital product design, "craft" refers to technical skill, strategic creativity, care, attention to detail, and commitment to producing a high-quality product for users. A designer who values craft cares about delivering great work at any stage of the design process, especially when it's consumer-facing.
To verify this definition, besides researching various references, I decided to ask some designers in the industry what their definition of "craft" in design was. Here's what MDS from Shift Nudge answered:
"Design craft, to me, would specifically speak to the care and attention to detail employed in any particular design."
Great examples of products are built with this approach as a core value. The latest hyped product among the design community is Linear. If you navigate through their website and use the product, you can see how the design and engineering teams are aligned. This shared vision between the team is also key to delivering well-crafted interfaces.
If we try to imagine how a product team would think about delivering that section, it could go like this:
- 😊 We must show how users can use keyboard shortcuts to improve their workflow. Let's design a static image of a keyboard with some highlighted keys. Would that do the job? Probably.
- 🥰 We can go further, so let's animate that image showing different shortcuts. This way, we can show more possibilities. Would that work even better? Sure.
- 🤩 Let's take another step and add interactiveness so that when a user types, the virtual keyboard responds. Yeah, that's even cooler.
Of course, this was just me trying to deconstruct an example of different levels of craftsmanship on how far we can go to deliver great interfaces. Linear's team most likely has been thinking about delivering step 3 since the beginning.
Not every company, team, or designer can afford to go that far. It depends on multiple factors. But I'm glad we are taking inspiration from these examples to drive our craft to the next level. That's what inspires me as a designer. And I'm sure it's inspiring others too.
Why is Craft Been Left Behind?
Before discussing the reasons, it is important to emphasize that when creating digital products, the priority is always to focus on business objectives and user needs. That is the foundation of everything. There is no point in refining an interface that has no use for the user or does not bring results to the business. Considering this, let's analyze why craft in design has been left behind in recent years.
There are several reasonable and justifiable reasons (others not so much) why craft has been less valued. Let's mention some of them:
Move Fast and Break Things
In recent years, the "move fast and break things" approach of uncle Zuck has been widely used in the startup world. This approach is focused on speed and experimentation, which makes it challenging to create more refined and quality designs.
Team Scale
As teams and companies grow, the cost of maintaining quality and excellence increases exponentially, requiring more time and energy to keep things consistent. Additionally, communicating and sharing a unique vision among team members becomes more complex.
Conflicting Visions
Sometimes there needs to be C-Level sponsorship for the design craft to become a fundamental part of the company's vision. And it's not about right or wrong. It's just different visions. Some companies, like Amazon, don't have a strong reputation regarding design, but that doesn't mean they're unsuccessful. On the other hand, companies like Linear and Airbnb have design craftsmanship as a fundamental part of their vision, which also works for them.
Undervaluation of Visual Design
I've noticed in recent years a trend of some design content creators and UX Design advocates using narratives that undervalue the importance of the visual aspect of digital products.
On the one hand, I understand. The pursuit for likes on Dribbble shots with impossible interfaces may have caused a wrong impression that UI Design is just about making pretty screens. By using this narrative, I'd rather believe that they intended to show beginners that UI without UX is not a thing. And on that point, I agree.
However, the consequence of this narrative has been a diminishment of craft in interface design and a loss of interest from many newcomers in the design world.
So… why should I care about design craft?
Granted, I don't believe every designer requires this skill to be good at their work. Though, leveraging your design craft or at least being inspired by good craftsmanship will benefit you in the long term. It can be the difference between a good and an excellent professional. Developing care for the design craft requires experience, study, repertoire, constant practice, and dedication.
By analyzing dozens of portfolios and interviewing junior and mid-level designers, I've noticed a need for more care and quality in work presented and the portfolio itself. This lack of craftsmanship is a common complaint from leaders in large companies in Brazil and worldwide when trying to find talent.
With the rise of artificial intelligence, tools like Genius, UIzard, Midjourney, and ChatGPT will become increasingly common in the designer's toolbox. Although they may deliver good enough results, they can trivialize the work and make it a commodity. That's why a designer who stands out for excellence in his craft may be better positioned moving forward, shifting the commodity into something unique.
If you identify with this approach, check out my post on developing craft and design sense.
