Ever wonder how our design tools got… designed?
A great craftsman, the saying goes, never blames his tools. But it’s hard not to wonder if maybe our tools are a greater influence than we’d like to admit.
Ever wonder how our design tools got… designed?
I’ve been getting paid to make web stuff for over a decade, which means I’ve had the privilege and opportunity to ship some real bad design.
A great craftsman, the saying goes, never blames his tools. But it’s hard not to wonder—maybe back when you were stuck late at the office, fingers cramping as you nine-sliced buttons in Photoshop to get those goddamn rounded corners that the client needed so bad—if maybe our tools are a greater influence than we’d like to admit.
This post kicks off a series of questions, ideas, interviews, and (hopefully) answers as I dive deep into how great creative tools get designed—both in the digital space (where I live) and the analog world (I own some property there). Maybe there’s something your next Figma plugin can learn from the thoughtful design of a quilter’s seam ripper. Like how to give things cool names.
Follow me on this little adventure as I learn from the people who design the tools that we use as creators, whether we’re ripping seams or pushing pixels or dropping beats. We’ll figure out some deep truths about designing creative tools—or maybe we’ll fail and just end up having a really fun time talking to brilliant people.
Either way, you’ll want to come along.
~ Geordie