Most of the time, during the development stage of a certain project, we are often focused on the functional side of things. While there is nothing wrong with making sure that features works 100%, bug-free and delivered on-time, I believe that design should have it’s own place in the cycle.
It is often overlooked that people who will be using the product is not only driven by the features but also by the visual experience delivered by the design.
Designs are a product of intensive thought-process from UX to UI to make sure that the product is not only functional but also engages users to stay, interact and have a better experience which makes it as equally as important as the functional features.
<h2>What is Design QA?</h2>
Design QA is a process of making sure that visual designs, micro interactions, and copywriting are properly followed throughout the development process.
A Design <a href="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/5-myths-about-qa-and-testing/">QA&#8217;s</a> main objective is to make sure that production is carried out with the required level of quality and design output.
<h2>The Challenge of Implementing Design QA?</h2>
Initially, design QA can be extremely difficult. It can eat up time during a sprint and be quite costly. However, incorporating it into your process ensures high-quality output and better user experiences.
<img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2422" src="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Design-QA-workflow-300x128.png" alt="" width="300" height="128" srcset="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Design-QA-workflow-300x128.png 300w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Design-QA-workflow-1024x437.png 1024w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Design-QA-workflow-768x328.png 768w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Design-QA-workflow.png 1476w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
The challenge of adding <a href="https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/what-the-design-qa-process-means-for-products-and-how-to-do-it-7484e5eaa4e2">Design QA</a> layer in the workflow may receive a lot of friction from the whole team especially the front-end developers.
Devs may want to focus on integrating the API endpoints to their work instead of adjusting paddings, colors and spacings but the moment the team starts doing this, we can be able to reduce design debt which is “all the good design concepts or solutions that you skipped in order to reach short-term goals”
While it is always good to focus on skipping some design details specially when we are pushing for a faster delivery, if we continue neglecting Design QA and the product is out, we’ll realize that no matter how optimized our code structure is, if the interface looks totally out of place, all of our efforts will be futile.
If we continue neglecting Design QA and the product is out, we’ll realize that no matter how optimized our code structure is, if the interface looks totally out of place, all of our efforts will be futile.
<h3>“Users interact with the interface, not with the code.”</h3>
In the art world, there is always the conflict between form and function and I believe that a balance of a high functioning code and a powerful visual component is what makes a highly successful project.
Apps needs to be a multi-sensory experience. Design, ease-of-use as well as audio will give another layer of flavor.

Importance of Design QA workflow

<a href="https://www.tutorialspoint.com/multimedia/multimedia_introduction.htm">Multimedia</a> design is the art of integrating different forms of media such as audio, text, and animation. In the IT industry, multimedia design is highly used on the Internet, where you might encounter a web page that uses a combination of animation, illustration, and audio.
Being the first multimedia designer in HOV is a lot of pressure for me, especially since I am still a beginner in the field. I am under the guidance of the Design Manager, but of course it would be different if I had a multimedia expert mentor me from time to time. If you ask me what my initial goals are, I would say solidifying and standardizing multimedia design processes in the company is something that I would want to achieve within 1 to 2 years. In the future, I also want to monetize my creations so that I could contribute to the business side of the company and of course, myself, financially.
However, I will not achieve any of this if I do not focus on building my creative and technical skills in multimedia design. In this blog, I will share with you my multimedia design starter pack to help you kickstart your career as a multimedia designer. Beware, I am still a beginner and all these things I will be sharing are rooted in my experience. So read at your own risk!
<ul>
<li>Know the Design Principles</li>
</ul>
****The fact that multimedia designing is still “designing”, means that you must know at least the basic design principles. I assume you are familiar with the terms: balance, alignment, hierarchy, contrast, rhythm, proximity, color, and space. These are the design principles that would make your creation good-looking.
Keep in mind that user experience (UX) is always, if not, mostly part of the design. There are laws and principles of UX that you must also be familiar with in order to make your creations not just aesthetically pleasing, but sensible and impactful.
<ul>
<li>Know Motion Graphics and Video Editing Principles</li>
</ul>
The multimedia design will not be complete without the existence of animation and video. Animation is used in so many areas of multimedia design such as in web and video production. Knowing the basic principles of motion graphics (animation) would really help you become a more effective creator and designer. Some of those principles are timing, spacing, rhythm, eases, anticipation, arcs, and exaggeration.
Meanwhile, as a multimedia designer, you will inevitably deal with video editing and production. This too becomes a must for you to learn. In video editing, you have to be particular with details, timing, use of transitions and shots, music &amp; sound, color scheme, and other visuals. Currently, I edit weekly memo videos and one thing I could say is that you will need a lot of brain cells in choosing the most significant parts of the video, arranging the clips in a way that would relay an impactful message to the viewers, and choosing the right music and visual elements.
<ul>
<li>Watch Videos for Inspiration; Join Online Courses; Read Blogs and Articles</li>
</ul>
We sometimes come to a point where we exhaust our creative juices and can no longer think or conceptualize original ideas. This becomes the perfect time for you to look for inspiration. The best tip I could give you is to watch and explore videos online and take note as to how designers execute their creations. Be keen on details and observe patterns. This activity definitely works for me when I run out of ideas. Even in your free time, you can just do more explorations to expand your creativity and knowledge.
Another tip I can give you is to join online courses on multimedia design. If possible, enroll in free online courses so that you can save money. You can also watch video tutorials on YouTube as an alternative. Lastly, if you are a reader, then this tip is for you: read blogs and articles. There are lots of online resources that you can read from to further expand your knowledge in multimedia design.
<ul>
<li>Have a Color Accurate and Fast Device</li>
</ul>
Having a slow device with a screen that has an inaccurate color gamut is something that you do not want to happen. I started working with a laptop that has 8GB of RAM, 256GB of ROM, a pretty basic GPU, an outdated CPU, and a really bad screen in terms of color accuracy. When I was tasked to do some daily animation exercises in Adobe After Effects, as well as video editing in Adobe Premiere, my patience was really tested. I got so desperate in getting myself a new device. The rendering time is really long and the tools I use crash regularly. It adds backlog to tasks, and so I had to find a way to eliminate it. The only option I could think of is to buy a new one with much better specs. If you want to save money, you simply upgrade your device, but as for my situation, I did not opt for upgrading my laptop because the RAM is not upgradable, and the color accuracy of the screen is really bad.
If you ask me what laptop/desktop specs I recommend for content creation, I would say something that has a good color gamut of at least 90% sRGB and a contrast ratio of 1000:1, and a good GPU and CPU as well. Having a good screen color gamut would help you see colors accurately so you would not have problems in color grading and manipulating the colors of an image. Having a good GPU and CPU will definitely improve productivity – you can do more tasks simultaneously and be able to render work in a short amount of time.
<ul>
<li>Exercise Daily</li>
</ul>
Just like exercising physically to achieve the body shape that you desire, in order to be an expert in multimedia design, it is recommended to also practice daily. In my work, I create daily content in After Effects by either replicating works from the internet or using what I learned in my explorations to create original work. Additionally, I took the opportunity to edit the weekly video memo of our CEO so I can practice my video editing skill.
I also noticed that as I kept on doing exercises, I get to learn and apply more techniques and at the same time, familiarize the tools that I use which are Adobe After Effects, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, and <a href="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/figma-speed-up-your-design-progress-using-figma-plugins/">Figma</a>.
Right now, I am still in the process of learning, and I have a very long way to go. I want to take things gradually to avoid getting burnout. In the future, I envision myself leading a team of content creators. I hope the tips above helped!

Multimedia design starter pack

<img class="size-medium wp-image-2352 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/JCs-blog-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/JCs-blog-300x300.png 300w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/JCs-blog-150x150.png 150w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/JCs-blog-768x768.png 768w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/JCs-blog-231x231.png 231w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/JCs-blog.png 900w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
As a Junior Designer, a newcomer in the industry we are prone to being introduced into something new to us more often. To be able to conquer this, you must have to be able to learn, unlearn , and re-learn
It&#8217;s a bit uncomfortable because we are usually able to learn but never follow through on the latter two habits.
In order to learn, unlearn, and re-learn, you must have to be self aware to know your limit capacity.
Being self aware will help you to assess yourself. You will know what you are good at, where you lack, what you are bad at, and where to improve! Of course, you will not know it all at once.
<h3>YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR TIME</h3>
There is already a lot of pressure around you, don’t add up to the fire. Duh.
You are not used to everything that you are introduced to, and so you do not have to move fast. You just have to make movement or progress everyday. It will be harder to track at first, but that is okay. Plan what you are going to do, assess your weakness and strength first to know your capacity. You do not want to rush things and fail before you even get to the middle.
<h3>TAKE WHAT YOU DO SERIOUSLY</h3>
I know we often say to some of our colleagues “Do not stress about work”, “Don’t take it seriously”. But it is not always the case, there are things that we really are committed to and want to achieve &#8211; so we have to be serious about it sometimes. That doesn&#8217;t mean you have to be serious and focused 24/7, know when to stop and have fun through the journey. It&#8217;s more about commitment.
<h3>ALLOW YOURSELF TO FEEL EMOTIONS</h3>
Make yourself feel the very emotion you are feeling at that moment. Whether that emotion is frustration, accomplishment or anything else! Allowing it to be felt will point you on how you are doing in that moment. It will help you observe, analyze, and assess yourself later on.
<h3>JOT DOWN HOW YOU FEEL</h3>
Those fleeting emotions that you have felt, you can jot them down (digitally or traditionally). The point is to make you remember later on how you felt at that moment. You will be able to get back at it and start assessing your struggles, your accomplishments, your failures. Sort of like a diary, a diary that will help you monitor your day and how you are moving forward.
<h3>REFLECT</h3>
Reflect on the emotion that you have jotted down. Think if it is something externally or internally that affects you. Think WHY? Think HOW?.
Why is this happening? How has this happened?
This allows you to track how you ended up here, and you can see if you want to end up here again or how to avoid feeling this way.
Reflect and you’ll find the answer.
<h3>ASK</h3>
Ask the people around you. Be it your manager, your co-worker, or someone in another department. There&#8217;s never any harm in asking.
<h3>OPEN YOURSELF TO FEEDBACK</h3>
Always be open to feedback. This is one of the important points of integrating the self-awareness habit.  Open your ears to any feedback from your colleague as they are also seeing and working with you.
More often than not, you will get diverse answers and be able to see yourself from a different lens. This can often lead to more reflection, which is always a good thing. Don&#8217;t let negative feedback bring you down, assess it in a positive manner.
<h3>WORK ON IT STEP-BY-STEP</h3>
Building a habit is hard, but at the very least you keep moving even if it is inch by inch. Assess yourself day by day and reflect, because not doing any work on the assessment won&#8217;t l end to any results!
A final point: do not rush anything, just trust your process.
Especially as a Junior Designer, you will be dependent on your seniors most of the time especially on decisions &#8211; but if you acquire the habit of self-awareness/reflection, you could be improving yourself day-by-day in the industry that never sleeps.

Becoming more self-aware as a Junior Designer

It&#8217;s easy to overthink what other’s might say or think on the other end of a screen during meetings, and this is especially true in a <a href="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/what-its-like-working-at-hov/">fully remote job</a>. We can&#8217;t gauge other peoples body language because we aren&#8217;t physically with them and words often get mistranslated.
<img class="size-medium wp-image-2335 alignleft" src="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Untitled-4-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Untitled-4-300x300.png 300w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Untitled-4-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Untitled-4-150x150.png 150w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Untitled-4-768x768.png 768w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Untitled-4-231x231.png 231w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Untitled-4.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
We tend to be defensive, jump to conclusions and judge a person by whatever they say before asking for clarifications. Heartbeat quickens and our mind begins to race—first in search of an explanation for the assault and then for a retort to rationalize whatever actions are in question.
So, now I’m trying to see <a href="https://www.betterup.com/blog/how-to-give-and-receive-constructive-criticism-at-work">criticism</a> as an opportunity to learn. Even if it’s not delivered in the best way or if it’s unfounded. Instead, maybe we should view it in the sense that it gives us a window to understand other people’s perspective.
Perhaps we should give the benefit of the doubt — it’s also difficult to give feedback to another person. So maybe the person giving you feedback is nervous or may not express their thoughts perfectly.
It&#8217;s time to start training my crooked mind to not go into fight or flight mode, and I encourage you to do the same! Be optimistic. Be open to stuff you hadn’t thought about earlier, be open to better ideas. And say thanks to the person giving feedback as well. Perhaps, it wasn’t easy for them either.
<img class="size-medium wp-image-2336 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Untitled-5-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Untitled-5-300x300.png 300w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Untitled-5-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Untitled-5-150x150.png 150w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Untitled-5-768x768.png 768w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Untitled-5-231x231.png 231w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Untitled-5.png 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Listen to understand—not to respond. This is the best way to take positives out of criticisms.

Receiving criticism

<h1>Have you ever heard of a color-blind designer?</h1>
Uhm.. Hi? Yep, that’s me.
<img class="size-medium wp-image-2286 alignleft" src="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/rancy-blog-pic-1-300x234.png" alt="" width="300" height="234" srcset="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/rancy-blog-pic-1-300x234.png 300w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/rancy-blog-pic-1.png 706w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
But I’m not totally color blind, I have this partial<a href="https://enchroma.com/pages/types-of-color-blindness"> Red-Green color blindness</a> which is one of the more common ones. Being color blind doesn’t mean I cannot see at all; it means some hues and colors are very hard to distinguish when combined with another color or even itself.
It took me 20 years to realize and discover that I was partially color blind, because it eventually became noticeable when I started working. Especially while being in the design industry.
&nbsp;
<h1></h1>
<h1>But how did I even manage to stay in the design industry being slightly color blind?</h1>
<h3>Accepting it as part of yourself</h3>
When I discovered I was color blind, I thought I had two choices: either I hide the fact and be afraid of it, or speak about it every time I met someone new. I realized I had a third choice, to just accept it for what it is. So now, if you’ll ask me then I’ll answer. That’s just it, I don’t wanna be <a href="https://www.hov.co/blog/post/landing-your-first-design-role">extra dramatic </a>about it.
I remember initially I used to memorize some of the hex code values just to stay aligned and make the color blindness less obvious. It was tough, especially while working on a certain project that required some color consistencies, but I managed. Now I recognize that it isn&#8217;t a big deal, I can just say I’m built different.
<h3>Seeing things from a different perspective</h3>
As a designer with partial color blindness, I became more mindful about the product users. I realized that there are could be others who struggle using things that I or other designers build. “A good design is inclusive and works for everyone in every situation.”
Instead of trusting colours alone, I put some effort into extending the reach of my design by using patterns and textures to emphasize the contrast between objects. Adding icons into some of the elements might be helpful too, just to give a bit more context on what message you’re trying to convey. And sometimes, you don’t have to break design conventions if you don’t have to. You’re designing for the clarity of your customers not to impress other designers or yourself.
<h1>Resourceful links</h1>
<a href="https://webaim.org/">https://webaim.org/</a>
<a href="https://www.figma.com/community/plugin/732603254453395948/Stark">https://www.figma.com/community/plugin/732603254453395948/Stark</a>
<a href="https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/cat-noone-accessibility-inclusion/">https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/cat-noone-accessibility-inclusion/</a>
<a href="https://colororacle.org/">https://colororacle.org/</a>
<a href="https://enchroma.com/pages/test">https://enchroma.com/pages/test</a>

Designing on a different hue

Last year was such a challenging time for everyone. It seems all of our plans were put on pause and all of us have a story to share on how we kept and still keep pushing during those times.
Before being a designer at HOV, I was just a fresh grad completely unsure what path to take. Back in my Senior year in college (2020), I had no idea what I wanted to do once I graduated. As an IT student, we were conditioned and told we could be web developers, software developers, or some type of programmers after graduation.
<h2>We have been conditioned on what we should be, instead of finding what we could be.</h2>
<img class="size-medium wp-image-2257 alignleft" src="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/photo-1541829070764-84a7d30dd3f3-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/photo-1541829070764-84a7d30dd3f3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/photo-1541829070764-84a7d30dd3f3-768x513.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/photo-1541829070764-84a7d30dd3f3.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Straying away from a common IT career path (programming) seemed to be kind of a waste for me back then since I had spent five years studying skills and concepts.
But by that time, I had also developed a keen interest in getting into the UI and UX path. Being different didn&#8217;t sit well with me whenever we talked about our post-graduation options. Most of my peers wanted to join the mainstream, traditional roles but a few wanted to be in the design side of the field.
That&#8217;s when I stumbled upon an article that said&#8230;
&nbsp;
<blockquote>
<h2>Do what you excel the most at, be great and improve yourself on it rather than doing something you&#8217;re average at and don&#8217;t see yourself in for the long run.</h2>
</blockquote>
This has become my college best friend and my mantra &#8211; to be focused on what we want to be and find happiness at the same time.
Covid-19 came just before we graduated and of course this added to the pressure because how do you begin when you&#8217;re stuck in quarantine? There were so many businesses shutting down the idea of getting a job seemed really difficult and daunting. I took this horrible situation as an opportunity to give myself a break and took almost 3 months of reflecting on what I would really wanted to be doing.
<ul>
<li>I started to create my UX case study and build my own design portfolio. Doing something without any professional guidance is frustrating and worrisome as you don&#8217;t know if you are doing the right thing. But forget that! I just kept trusting my gut.</li>
</ul>
I attended a conference. One of the topics was entitled &#8220;Trust Your Gut.&#8221;  The talk basically said that sometimes trusting your own gut is a good thing. It can make you get out of your zone, do impossible things, break barriers and get one step closer to your goal.
<ul>
<li>Attended FREE UX events and workshops Conferences, <a href="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/covid-webinars-a-new-world-for-knowledge-sharing/">seminars</a> and workshops are quite pricey especially when you&#8217;ve just graduated and aren&#8217;t working yet. But there were SO many free conferences and sessions out there, I even got my first conference ticket on a major UX conference just by joining a giveaway contest on Twitter. Free online tutorials and courses have been my companion, then and now.</li>
<li>Built my Portfolio I compiled all my works to build my first portfolio. It basically contained a variety of contents from UX case studies, UI landing pages, and graphic design illustrations I created to practice myself. A portfolio, even for non-designers, is really helpful. It is also a proof that you as an individual are driven and enthusiastic about what you are doing.</li>
<li>Kept applying to design agencies / IT companies Keep on trying! I submitted my CV and <a href="http://www.designzbyjamz.com/the-importance-of-a-portfolio-for-designers/">portfolio</a> to countless number of companies. I got rounds of interviews but didn&#8217;t get the final position. It&#8217;s OKAY. Rejections are tough, especially for fresh graduates but keep your faith and courage to show your interest and drive.</li>
<li>Showed interest and enthusiasm in interviews Always have lively and enthusiastic energy whenever talking about your personal projects. Walk the interviewers through your own thoughts and design processes and discuss how as someone without professional background, you built your projects and your portfolio. Be confident but not arrogant.</li>
</ul>
Having such drive and thinking helped me get a position here at HOV. Looking at those simple steps I did as a beginner, I am always proud of myself as I never actually studied design in college.
<h2>Trust your self. Trust the process and never stop.</h2>

Landing your first design role

Looking back around 2000-ish when I was in high school, Friendster was the first social media app that was trending at the time. Similar to Facebook, Friendster was a place you could create an account, post anything on your wall, add friends, and even customize your profile page. People used different themes on their profile pages, others designed and built something unique from scratch.
Back then, you were considered a professional when your profile was customized with snappy graphics and silly animations. I remember being so excited about the endless possibilities to spice up your profile, so of course I decided to try everything out. For the first time ever, I installed and used Adobe Photoshop (I was using version 8 CS at that time), began studying simple photo edits and manipulations, and did some research on how to do HTML and CSS.
Every time I remember this from the past, I consider it to be the first time I found myself absolutely in love with designing.
Years passed by and I enrolled myself in a tech school for my college degree. The school offered engineering, computer, and design courses. I took a BS in IT with a specialization in digital arts, so I had tech courses with a major in design.
There&#8217;s a LOT to learn in the design field &#8212; from photography, creating 2D and 3D graphics and animations, editing photos and videos, building websites and mobile applications, and so many more things! All of the courses I had taken taught us more about introductions, tools to use and just the basics.
Four years later, I graduated and began the hunt to find my very first design job. I thought anything related to my degree was fine and worked for me. But turns out, it really wasn&#8217;t. There were so many job openings for design graduates, but I couldn&#8217;t seem to find anything that fit my skills and the experiences I had. At that moment, I was sure I was having a quarter life crisis and I went as far as to start questioning if I was on the right track (the story of every fresh grad, really). I was so overwhelmed with the skillset requirements that I thought, how am I supposed to know any of this?
I started to analyze and check every skill and ability that I had, until I remembered the moment and the reason why I chose this career path. That&#8217;s when I felt clarity on what I wanted to do.
I created my portfolio, took more online courses on designing websites and applications and then I started submitting CVs again. After being unemployed for months, I finally landed my first job as a junior web designer.
Regarding the question: Should you go to design or tech school? I honestly think it doesn&#8217;t matter. I believe it depends on the person and how they want to learn; whether they want a structured way by direct access to learning with professors and classmates or are hugely motivated to push at self-learning, the importance is the willingness to discover a new set of skills. Some might prefer learning through experience rather than through education.
There&#8217;s a plethora of different paths and ways to get training experience &#8211; you can take online courses, watch masterclasses, attend conferences and try new tech tools. Others have limited access to education: it might be expensive or difficult to manage in time. Others might be thinking to switch careers.
In my case, I entered tech school to learn extended areas of the design space, choose what field to focus on, and continuously learn my specific skills in UI design. If you&#8217;re applying for a job, what people might want to see is the experience you have.
Unfortunately, there&#8217;s no answer on what exactly you should do to become a designer. The advice I will give: don&#8217;t hesitate to try things on your own. You will find joy by doing the job you love and see yourself grow by continuously learning.

Design vs. Tech School?

<img class=" wp-image-1883 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Screen_Shot_2021-04-20_at_2.11_1-300x130.png" alt="" width="623" height="270" srcset="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Screen_Shot_2021-04-20_at_2.11_1-300x130.png 300w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Screen_Shot_2021-04-20_at_2.11_1-1024x444.png 1024w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Screen_Shot_2021-04-20_at_2.11_1-768x333.png 768w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Screen_Shot_2021-04-20_at_2.11_1.png 1249w" sizes="(max-width: 623px) 100vw, 623px" />
You’ve probably seen this flat illustration style everywhere from Google, Facebook, Airbnb to pretty much most of the tech companies.
Facebook was one of the first big companies to push out these new illustrations throughout their site. The illustration system, developed by an L.A.- and Brooklyn-based design firm called <a href="https://buck.tv/#/">Buck</a>, is simplistic usually vectorized flat, minimal art style, of joyful cartoon people who are always in motion, running, dancing, or doing something creative.
The characters are depicted by disproportionately shaped bodies. Huge feet, small heads and hands, a variety of bright pastel color skin, sometimes holding a big object like a paintbrush. The designers from Buck called it “Alegria,” which is Spanish for “joy”.
<img class=" wp-image-1882 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Music-Events_Dancing-QP_v4_1-300x112.png" alt="" width="477" height="178" srcset="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Music-Events_Dancing-QP_v4_1-300x112.png 300w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Music-Events_Dancing-QP_v4_1-1024x384.png 1024w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Music-Events_Dancing-QP_v4_1-768x288.png 768w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Music-Events_Dancing-QP_v4_1.png 1249w" sizes="(max-width: 477px) 100vw, 477px" />
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Facebook needed a consistent illustration system that signals positivity, is inclusive, conveys the messages that they want to spread, and is cheaper to produce. Considering production timelines and tighter budgets, editorial illustrations were just not the right move.
The flat, minimal style would be ideal for the sake of replicability, meaning, many artists can work and contribute while keeping the look and feel of the characters consistent.
Soon, other companies adopted this trend and started using the Alegria style because of its simple, scalable nature.
<h2>The growing discontent</h2>
<img class="wp-image-1880 alignleft" src="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Group_1-300x245.png" alt="" width="394" height="321" srcset="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Group_1-300x245.png 300w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Group_1-1024x836.png 1024w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Group_1-768x627.png 768w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Group_1.png 1249w" sizes="(max-width: 394px) 100vw, 394px" />Because of the somewhat unsettling spread and adoption of the style among bigger tech companies, it was soon referred to as Big Tech Art Style, Corporate Art Style, Corporate Memphis, or Globohomo (global homogenization) art style.
With the Cambridge Analytica scandal and other immoral misconduct by other large organizations, the Alegria style with its cheerful minimalism was masking something more sinister. The Aelgria style was an easy way to appeal to the growing public awareness and discontent towards &#8220;Big Tech&#8221; and its &#8220;Comedy Mask&#8221;, bu hiding the companies true intentions and pushing hidden agendas.
For some, now it seems to suggest a culture of anti-individualism, or interchangeability, which from a corporate view is pretty much how consumers are perceived. Now associated with large companies and sociopolitical organizations that push for a globalized and homogenized society devoid of social and cultural identity, a perfect consumer&#8230;
<img class=" wp-image-1881 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Delivery_Dance_0-20_screenshot-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="497" height="280" srcset="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Delivery_Dance_0-20_screenshot-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Delivery_Dance_0-20_screenshot-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Delivery_Dance_0-20_screenshot-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Delivery_Dance_0-20_screenshot-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Delivery_Dance_0-20_screenshot.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px" />
Recently, some companies started to move away from the Alegria style, and are trying to disassociate themselves from the negative political predicament.
It seems that the new squishy 3D style is no exception to critique, most notably the <a href="https://www.distractify.com/p/grubhub-commercial-meme">GrubHub commercial</a>.
It&#8217;s not Alegria&#8217;s fault for the growing hate. It&#8217;s certainly not badly designed, it&#8217;s everything you expect for a modern graphic design. In the end, it&#8217;s how it&#8217;s used and who is using it.

The rise of the “Globohomo” art style

Do you ever feel like you have no idea what you&#8217;re doing, that you&#8217;re faking it to keep your job, and that any achievements you&#8217;re credited with are creating a false ideal of your abilities? Do you ever worry that someone will discover that you aren&#8217;t as capable as others believe? That&#8217;s your impostor syndrome talking.
But first, let’s talk about why so many of us experience it. The condition was first identified in 1978 by the psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes. It has been estimated that 70% of people feel like an impostor at some point in their careers. But, in my opinion, it all starts long before we join the workforce. It may soar to new heights as you advance in your career, but it begins much earlier. Impostor syndrome doesn’t suddenly appear overnight.
It begins in childhood, when we are first told — and begin to believe — that we are in some way insufficient. That what we&#8217;re doing or what we&#8217;ve done isn&#8217;t enough. To fit in, be accepted, and make friends, you would have to be someone different. That in order to be successful, you must act and be perceived in a certain way.
Impostor syndrome is common in technical and academic fields, but women are disproportionately affected. It&#8217;s a major career roadblock because, if left unchecked, it prevents them from applying for promotions, submitting papers to conferences, or doing anything else that would draw attention to themselves. That&#8217;s not surprising, given that women still face a lot of criticism in these fields, and their achievements are often undervalued.
Impostor syndrome is both good and bad. It’s bad in that it stops many people from progressing and sharing their capacity and talents with the world. On the other hand, impostor syndrome is also a symptom of breaking out of your comfort zone, and that’s where growth happens. Next time you experience this feeling, know that there are plenty of reasons to embrace it.
In the field of UX design, there are actually a lot of people who experience impostor syndrome simply due to the leap from informing design to actually designing. That invisible bridge between the two is filled with the stuff that can make people fear the fail or try and bluff their way to success. UX and &#8220;design&#8221; are different things. UX is closer to a research project riddled with experiments and design is closer to art and craftsmanship, in my opinion. The research should inform the design.
But UX people get into this weird situation where they&#8217;re not only asked to do the research, but they&#8217;re asked to basically craft the thing on some level. Why? Because companies might ask the UX guy to also do design and then the UX guy might not actually use fresh real data to support his/her design (after being asked to do that part) because the company doesn&#8217;t have the desire to fund him/her to do all that extra work and because of his or her own tunnel visioned bias.
Buttons and widgets will be in places due to seemingly applicable design patterns, an efficiency achieved through someone else&#8217;s research, but this approach also carries a risk since every situation has some uniqueness to it. But this risk shouldn&#8217;t be where we do UX without buying. Any risk should be brought up to the customer so that they can make the decision about it. There&#8217;s also the misconception that business have where they think they can bring in a UX person and s/he will draw pretty pictures and designers will make everything better just from that. And some folks might be pushed into that situation against their better judgement too, which doesn&#8217;t help things.
I kind of feel that the only people that don&#8217;t feel like an impostor sometimes are the ones that don&#8217;t realize how much there is still left to learn. Impostor syndrome is nothing more than your brain saying &#8220;you might know more than those that acknowledge you, but you have a long way before you know everything you could/should know&#8221;, which is a good thing.
In other words, impostor syndrome is a symptom of a mind willing to learn, which is the best feature someone working on any design or technology field can have. Surround yourself with people smarter than you, and keep learning.

Embracing your Imposter Syndrome

In the first part of this series, we tried to define what it means to &#8216;design ethically.&#8217; We concluded that things start to get blurry pretty fast and there is no single definite answer. So what if we try a different approach &#8211; Is it perhaps easier to define what unethical design means?
<h1>Privacy</h1>
For a lot of people, privacy is what first comes to mind. Here&#8217;s a good quote from designer and activist Aral Balkan:
<blockquote>“When a company like Facebook improves the experience of its products, it’s like the massages we give to Kobe beef: they’re not for the benefit of the cow but to make the cow a better product. In this analogy, you are the cow.” Aral Balkan</blockquote>
Or maybe you&#8217;re more familiar with this simplified version:
<blockquote>“If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.”</blockquote>
You are the product, and your value is in your personal data. When you bring up this argument, there will always be someone who says something along the lines of &#8220;if you&#8217;re not doing anything illegal and you don&#8217;t have anything to hide, why worry?&#8221; But things aren&#8217;t that simple. Let&#8217;s take a look at what happens with your data that gets collected.
<h3>Companies use this data to sell you more</h3>
They analyze your interests, habits, and vulnerabilities and then use that to persuade you with ads in order to make you a better consumer. To be fair: companies greatly exaggerate how smart and powerful their targeting is so they can sell more ads, but it&#8217;s still a problem.
<h3>Data gets sold to third parties</h3>
You may have given access to one company, but it can end up in an entirely different place, which is not something you signed up for. Your health records, social security numbers, banking details, location history; all of this gets bundled into neat little packages and sold.
These packages present a simplified model of a person and contain their private, intimate details. There are systems that make automated decisions based on that data which can greatly limit someone&#8217;s choices, opportunities and life-chances. The way these systems work is often non-transparent, arbitrary, biased, unfair, and unaccountable.
What does this mean in practice?
For example, there have been cases where employers have been tracking the location data and search history of employees so they could <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/24/how-amazon-prevents-unions-by-surveilling-employee-activism.html">stop them from forming unions and fighting for better working conditions</a>.
Or, your government could use your location history and social media content to mark you as &#8220;undesirable&#8221; or &#8220;terrorist&#8221;, like <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-protest-safely-surveillance-digital-privacy/">during the protest around the globe in 2020.</a>
<img class="wp-image-1697 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screenshot_2021-03-10_at_19.43.33-300x179.png" alt="" width="521" height="311" srcset="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screenshot_2021-03-10_at_19.43.33-300x179.png 300w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screenshot_2021-03-10_at_19.43.33-1024x611.png 1024w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screenshot_2021-03-10_at_19.43.33-768x458.png 768w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screenshot_2021-03-10_at_19.43.33-1536x916.png 1536w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screenshot_2021-03-10_at_19.43.33.png 1636w" sizes="(max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px" />
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This is why &#8220;I have nothing to hide&#8221; is a naive point of view — it takes for granted that there is a benevolent, objectively good force running everything from corporations to governments behind the scenes. Nothing is black or white.
<h3>Your data is not secure</h3>
Even if we imagine that governments and companies will never abuse collected data, security is still an issue. There are regular people behind those systems who have access to your data and can leak it or dox you. There are hackers who can steal your data for profit or just for fun. As long as it&#8217;s there, somebody can abuse it.
<h1>Accessibility</h1>
Another way you can create an unethical design is through accessibility. When you&#8217;re designing, you&#8217;re always making compromises:
<ul>
<li>Who benefits from your design?</li>
<li>Who gets left out, intentionally or unintentionally?</li>
</ul>
When you say &#8220;accessibility&#8221;, designers usually mean designing with high contrast and making sure the design can be used via keyboard. But there&#8217;s so much more to it than that.
Clubhouse has been the hot new app for quite some time now. It&#8217;s described as &#8220;drop-in audio chat&#8221;, and some of the most important tech discussions and networking happen there. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenaquino/2021/02/08/clubhouse-is-a-club-so-exclusive-it-excludes-disabled-people-by-design/?sh=26b5e2ea6008">But here are a couple of different ways it&#8217;s inaccessible:</a>
<ul>
<li>It&#8217;s hard to use by visually impaired people because of low contrast and no keyboard support</li>
<li>It&#8217;s impossible to use by hearing-impaired people because of the lack of live captioning of audio</li>
<li>It&#8217;s invite-only, which excludes people who aren&#8217;t connected to the elite tech-bro early-adopters</li>
<li>It&#8217;s iOS-only, which excludes Android users</li>
</ul>
<img class=" wp-image-1699 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/DE1-300x188.jpg" alt="" width="383" height="240" srcset="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/DE1-300x188.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/DE1-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/DE1-768x480.jpg 768w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/DE1.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 383px) 100vw, 383px" />
The team behind Clubhouse is clearly communicating that they only want people who can see perfectly, hear perfectly, own iPhones, and who are &#8220;culture-fit&#8221;. Everybody else gets left out.
You could argue if that&#8217;s intentional or unintentional, but there are some real-life examples that are definitely intentional.
<img class=" wp-image-1698 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/DE2-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="294" srcset="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/DE2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/DE2.jpg 639w" sizes="(max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px" />
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This is an example of <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/HostileArchitecture/">hostile architecture</a>. The idea is to design objects in public with such a balance so it does its job but makes it impossible for homeless people to use it to survive. A popular example are benches that are kind of okay to sit on, but impossible to sleep on. Or ventilation shafts that homeless people cannot use to stay warm. They&#8217;re pretty clear about who doesn&#8217;t get to benefit from their design.
<h1>Dark patterns</h1>
When you compare something like an axe or a TV to digital products, there is one big difference. An axe or a TV just sits there and waits until you interact with it. But now, tools are the ones starting the interaction. They&#8217;re always on, always bombarding you with notifications, emails, SMS, begging for your attention. They don&#8217;t care what you want at that moment, they want your focus right now, and ideally all the time. And this is causing massive anxiety.
<img src="https://frontend-design.slite.com/api/files/8YY3v8AMYB/image.png" alt="https://frontend-design.slite.com/api/files/8YY3v8AMYB/image.png" />
This is what the industry calls a <a href="https://www.darkpatterns.org/">dark pattern</a>, a trick that designers use to make the things you don&#8217;t want to. This is just one example, but there are dozens:
<ul>
<li>Roach motel: Designers make subscribing ridiculously easy, but unsubscribing next to impossible.</li>
<li>Confirmshaming: Guilting users into choosing something that benefits your company by using labels that shame them into compliance.</li>
<li>Forced continuity: When a free trial ends, the user silently starts getting charged.</li>
</ul>
<h1>Not anticipating negative behavior</h1>
While dark patterns are mostly there intentionally and used to reach business goals no matter what, sometimes it seems people working on the product didn&#8217;t realize that their product can be used for harm. This usually happens when there&#8217;s a lack of diversity on teams, and in tech, which is still mainly white, male, straight, and neurotypical, that&#8217;s often the case. Sometimes they imagine the world as a perfect, happy place, where nothing bad ever happens, a view which clashes with reality.
<img class=" wp-image-1700 aligncenter" src="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/DE4-273x300.jpeg" alt="" width="389" height="427" srcset="https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/DE4-273x300.jpeg 273w, https://wordpress.highoutput.io/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/DE4.jpeg 733w" sizes="(max-width: 389px) 100vw, 389px" />
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Here are some potential problems to keep in mind:
<ul>
<li>Mental health: How is your FOMO design affecting people who are struggling with depression, or ADHD, or anxiety?</li>
<li>Traum: <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2015/4/2/8315897/facebook-on-this-day-nostalgia-app-bringing-back-painful-memories">Is your &#8220;On this day&#8221; feature showing your users a celebratory reminder that their friend committed suicide</a>?</li>
<li>Addiction: Is your addictive, habit-loop app ruining users who have problems with addiction psychologically and financially?</li>
<li>Abusive relationships: Are your &#8220;Find my friends&#8221; and location tags helping abusive partners track and control their victims?</li>
</ul>
<h1>Consequences</h1>
So what are the consequences of using unethical design? Why do we keep seeing this sort of behavior again and again?
<h3>Big tech companies that embrace unethical design have lower usability, frustrated users, and a loss of trust&#8230;</h3>
But they are so big and popular that people have no option but to ignore the issues and keep coming back. Yeah, you could put photos of your dog and breakfast on your personal website, but who&#8217;s going to see them there?
<h3>Sometimes, companies have to pay&#8230;</h3>
But it&#8217;s usually a symbolic amount compared to how much they earn from their unethical practices.
<img src="https://frontend-design.slite.com/api/files/fYTcvojLNG/image.png" alt="https://frontend-design.slite.com/api/files/fYTcvojLNG/image.png" />
<h3>Or they just get scolded</h3>
They apologize, promise not to do it again, and then turn around and keep doing the exact same thing. How many times have you watched a congressional hearing where Mark Zuckerberg had to stand in front of old people who don&#8217;t understand anything about technology and pretend he&#8217;s sorry for something that&#8217;s literally the core of his business model?
The truth is, our current system doesn&#8217;t really punish this kind of behavior. We&#8217;re still celebrating companies and people who do this. It&#8217;s up to you to decide if you want to accept it and be a part of it. You can&#8217;t really expect to change the underlying system on your own, but you have to start somewhere. And at least you&#8217;ll sleep better knowing you&#8217;re not actively ruining people&#8217;s lives.
In our last part of this series on Design Ethics, we&#8217;ll talk about all the part you can play in being more &#8216;ethical.&#8217;