The engineer’s guide to not making your app look awful

The article says app design can be learned like coding, and that engineers who are not graphic designers can still make apps look better by paying attention to color, images, layout, and content. It stresses that design is subjective, but gives practical ways to improve the look and usability of an app.

Reading notes

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• Do not rely only on the default shapes and colors provided by Xcode or Android Studio.
• Use images to make buttons and list items more appealing and easier to understand.
• Learn basic image editing skills gradually, using tools like Photoshop or Sketch if available.
• Ask for help from people with design knowledge instead of trying to do everything alone.
• Use color palette tools such as Adobe Color or Material Palette.
• Keep screens simple, clear, and readable, with enough space around content.
• Combine icons and text for action buttons when that makes the interface clearer.
• Look at other designers’ work on sites like Dribbble to learn what good design can look like.