

Ask HN: How do you prevent wasting time on the arbitrary details of web design? - kurtvarner

I'm extremely detailed when designing user interfaces in order to be pixel perfect. On the surface this seems like a good quality to have, however, I find my self wasting hours on the smallest, most minute details. I also have a hard time making decisions about the layout that are quite arbitrary (meaning either decision results in an acceptable design).<p>How do you handle these tiny details and decisions? Is this a common problem for designers, or am I simply too indecisive?<p>Thanks guys.
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nostrademons
A/B test them. Pick something arbitrary that looks pretty good for the initial
version (like the initial top-ads color for Google's May 2010 websearch
redesign was "Cosmic Latte", the average color of the universe). Make it
configurable in the source code, either through template variables or
frameworks like Sass. Then vary one parameter at a time and measure your
business metrics, and do what the data tells you to do.

It's important for designers to get the big-picture stuff right, like page
layout and interaction model. For pixel-perfectness, just do what the data
tells you.

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kurtvarner
I agree about the importance of A/B testing, but it's not realistic to split
test details like 16pt vs 18pt font, slight gradient changes, small text
positioning, etc.

But you're right about designers understanding and focusing on the big
picture. It's just hard for my mind not to get lost in the details.

~~~
nostrademons
Why not? Google does that all the time. Those are perhaps the easiest details
to test.

If you're using a framework like A/Bingo, it's literally one line of code.

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tronathan
I am so concerned about all the other work that has to be done that I tend to
fall on the other side of the spectrum; get the design to an 'acceptable'
place and move on.

My attitude is something along the lines of 'If you're not freaking out,
you're not working hard enough'

That said, I still havent launched publically, mostly because of all the
'details' of which you speak (core product works but is ugly).

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anthony_franco
I'm not sure how connected you are to the rest of your project.

But for me, I find that actually launching the product to users helps me focus
a ton more. I stop caring about the colors of buttons, the positions of signup
forms, and move on to the features that make the most impact.

~~~
kurtvarner
I'm the only person involved with the project, so it's difficult because I
have no input from anyone else. I also feel a strong sense of ownership over
it, which makes me obsess on the details like button color, text positioning,
etc. Overall though, I see what your saying. Those little details don't matter
in the big picture.

