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Why Design Matters (Even If You're Not a Designer)
Hey there 👋
You've probably seen and used from our YouTube tutorials, and you may have even downloaded and used them as a for creating amazing apps.
But have you ever considered learning Figma or figuring out how to create these amazing designs for your own apps as a developer?
Among many other questions that might be swirling in your mind:
- How should I approach it?
- Am I a decent designer?
- Is a design necessary in the first place?
- Do I need to hire a designer?
We are fortunate to have a talented designer here at JSM, but I am aware that not everyone will have a friend, colleague, or designer who can create beautiful interfaces for them.
You're probably building a SaaS project or side hustle solo, and paying $2k for a UI isn’t realistic right now.
That's exactly why we created this tutorial—to help you make your apps look without hiring a designer, even if you’ve never opened Figma in your life.
Let me show you what this looks like in the real world.
Meet Sarah 👩💻
Sarah is a developer who just finished building her first SaaS application—a task management tool for freelancers.
The functionality is solid, users love the features, but there's one problem: it looks like it was designed in 2005.
Users can’t quite say what’s wrong—but something feels off. And that’s all it takes to lose them.
Sarah knows her app , but every time someone visits her landing page, they immediately bounce.
The interface feels clunky, unprofessional, and frankly, hard to use.
She's convinced she needs to hire a designer, but with her limited budget and tight timeline, that's just not feasible right now.
Sound familiar? You're not alone.
So how do you fix that—without hiring a designer?
Why Design Actually Matters for Developers
It's not about how it looks, it's about how it works.
You've probably heard this before, and while functionality is crucial, here's the reality: users judge your app in milliseconds.
Before they even try that amazing feature you spent weeks perfecting, they've already formed an opinion based on what they see.
The Three Pillars of Why Design Matters
1. Clear UX Equals Happy Users
Good design isn't just about making things pretty—it's about .
When your interface is clean and intuitive, users can focus on getting their work done instead of figuring out where to click next.
Think about it: would you rather use an app that guides you effortlessly through tasks, or one where you're constantly hunting for buttons and features?
2. User Trust and Credibility
We live in an age where a polished interface signals legitimacy.
Users associate good design with reliable software. It's not fair, but it's reality .
A well-designed app suggests that the team behind it pays attention to details and cares about the .
On the flip side, a poorly designed interface can make users question the quality of the code underneath.
3. Product Appeal in a Competitive Market
Your SaaS isn't .
Users have dozens of alternatives available, and many of them look fantastic.
If your app does exactly what a competitor's does, but theirs looks professional while yours looks outdated, guess which one users will choose?
Good design can be the competitive edge that sets you apart.
Debunking the Designer Myth
Let me address the elephant in the room:
"I'm not creative. I can't design. I need to hire someone."
This is one of the biggest misconceptions in the developer community.
Here's the truth: you don't need to be Picasso to create good-looking interfaces.
Think about it this way—when you write code, you follow patterns, conventions, and best practices.
Design works the same way.
There are established principles, patterns, and guidelines that, when followed, naturally create visually appealing and functional interfaces.
You already understand concepts like modularity, consistency, and structure in your code.
These same principles apply to design.
Just as you don't reinvent data structures from scratch, you don't need to reinvent design patterns.
You can learn the fundamentals and apply proven techniques.
The goal isn't to become the next great visual artist.
The goal is to create interfaces that are clean, professional, and user-friendly.
And yes, as a developer, you can absolutely achieve this.
You can do it yourself — step by step.
And that’s exactly what we’re going to do next.
In the upcoming lesson, I’ll walk you through the first steps with , the design tool you’ll use to bring your app’s UI to life — even if it’s your first time opening it.
Ready to get your hands dirty and start designing?
Let’s jump right in!
0 Comments
How do I remove the blur effect from my CSS?
I removed but the blur is still there. Any ideas?
filter: blur(5px);
Does work for removing blur from modals?
backdrop-filter: none;
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