Lucas HThe older I get both in age and in my experience as a designer, the more I value functional UI over aesthetic UI. Is the interface self-explanatory? Does it help me solve a problem? If both answers are yes, then it’s good UI. I’m no longer a fan of overly simplified, overly animated, or over-polished interfaces.
Tuomas Hämäläinen 🇺🇦@bonumdesign I’m a firm believer that in the right hands, aesthetics can enhance the functional aspects of a UI, but right now it feels we are in this weird limbo where the UIs we live with are by and large neither very aesthetic nor super functional. It feels fatiguing from both sides. Maybe that’s where some of your sentiment is coming too, and I totally vibe with that.
Mindaugas RudokasNot sure regarding over-polished. :) Never a problem IMO.
Simple/complex, dynamism level, style – yes, needs appropriate balance. But it also highly depends on target domain and audience.
There are pro tools.
There are productivity tools for normies.
There are casual apps.
There are games and procedural art.
You can unleash all your designer desires you want – just need to pick the proper target.
But if there is a lot of mis-targeting due fashion trends and/or prioritizing self (designer) over the user – then you get into such global limbo.
Or in case of macOS 26 in particular – design system was made too inflexible, with one category of casual apps in mind, ignoring semi-pro and pro categories. Fashion and ego definitely played a role here.