The Lost Art of Design Taste in a Template-Driven World

The Template Trap

Too many designers are simply implementing the design language of shadcn and other popular libraries rather than pushing boundaries. While these tools provide a solid foundation, they shouldn't define the limits of our creativity.

Finding Your Voice

Reading Emil Kowolski's blog on developing taste reminded me how scarce this quality has become in software. As Anu Atluru brilliantly observes:

In a world of scarcity, we treasure tools. In a world of abundance, we treasure taste.

Building Character Through Design

The software space is crowded. To stand out, designers must focus on building character into their work. Let's look at a real-world example:

The PostHog Approach

PostHog exemplifies this perfectly - their opinionated, playful design stands out while maintaining familiar UX practices. This human touch is what makes their brand so strong and I believe strongly contributes to their success.

Embracing Growth

Keep iterating on your ideas. When you look back at something you created and dislike it, that's not failure - that's a sign you're growing as a designer.