Importance of design/taste in products

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But what happens when the default approach conflicts with customer feedback? The Linear team believes there’s an art and a science to it. The team is generally more opinionated at the atomic level—deciding to add labels and due dates as issue properties, for example. As they move up the stack to broader concepts like projects, they take more cues ... See more

Feel is not something we talk much about as digital product designers. It’s difficult to quantify in metrics or even describe in words, so it tends to fall to the bottom of a priority list. But we know it’s important. As legend goes, what sold internal teams at Apple on the bold choice of building a phone around a touchscreen interface was the simp... See more

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At its core, opinionated software is software that’s purpose-built for specific use cases. At Linear, that use case is helping teams build better products. Unlike a general purpose tool to be adopted across many disciplines or workflows, it guides you toward a default process. “We design it so that there’s one really good way of doing things,” say... See more

But the Razr had something that other handsets had mostly neglected: it was hot . The design innovatively revitalized Y2K Futurism pop culture and is even now fondly remembered as a figurehead for the “Chromecore” and “McBling” aesthetics. It seemingly prioritized fashion over function, and that felt desirably fresh compared to the typical blobs of... See more

Your average e-mail client, browser software, spreadsheet software does not have an opinion regarding how it should be used. Instead, it provides a maximum of flexibility which is appreciated by the average user, yet, not optimal for particular target groups. This enables an untapped potential for challenger firms which are capable of two things ( ... See more

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At past companies, the team saw how steep learning curves and jargon kept people from adopting certain productivity apps. Rather than coming up with new terms, the Linear team landed on straightforward units of work—like projects and teams—that are universal and easy to understand. One of the team’s firm opinions is that you shouldn’t need a hand... See more

Opinionated = Strong character 👨🏻‍🎤: Products such as Superhuman or Roam Research stand for something — they polarize. An E-Mail ending with “sent via Superhuman” signals professionalism. It’s more than the aura of a new product — it can become a sustainable branding advantage. Overall, I’m convinced that the importance of branding will increase... See more

And how do you apply it to the services and apps we design? The Browser Company has written that software can optimize for emotional needs rather than just functional needs. Jason Yuan has promoted the idea of “fidgetability” where, similar to a key fob or lighter, digital actions can be designed to feel satisfying. Rahul Vohra has talked about mak... See more