Figma: The discussion focuses on redesigning icons for Figma's UI3, emphasizing balance, playfulness, and user-friendliness.
The Wall Street Journal: Reciprocal tariffs proposed by Trump could harm US consumers and complicate trade relations.
Figma - Deep Dive: Designing Figma's UI3 icons (project walkthrough)
The conversation highlights the process of redesigning icons for Figma's UI3, focusing on creating a balanced and user-friendly icon set. The transition from UI2 to UI3 involved softening sharp edges to make icons appear more friendly and human, which is beneficial for users on non-retina screens. The redesign process included examining existing icons, identifying stylistic patterns, and creating guidelines for consistency. Practical examples include the redesign of the 'Scroll to' icon, which was made more playful by incorporating an anchor symbol, and the 'Conditional' icon, which was improved for clarity by using a check mark and cross. The discussion also covers the importance of involving other designers in the icon creation process, encouraging them to contribute and learn. The iterative design process involves sketching, exploring existing patterns, and refining ideas in Figma, ensuring icons are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Key Points:
- Redesigning icons for UI3 involved softening sharp edges for a friendlier appearance, especially beneficial for non-retina screens.
- Creating guidelines and consistency in icon design helps maintain a balanced visual weight across the icon set.
- Involving other designers in the icon creation process fosters collaboration and learning, enhancing the overall design quality.
- Practical examples like the 'Scroll to' and 'Conditional' icons demonstrate the importance of clarity and playfulness in design.
- Iterative design involves sketching, exploring existing patterns, and refining ideas to ensure functionality and aesthetics.
Details:
1. 🎨 The Art of Icon Design: Balancing Sharpness
- UI3 icons at Figma are intentionally designed to be less sharp than those in UI2, which benefits non-retina screens by providing a more visually appealing experience.
- Removing sharpness from icons can make them appear more playful and add charm, akin to crafty street signs in small towns.
- The design process involves iterations; initial overly complex designs were simplified to better fit the overall system, as seen with the Scroll to Icon which evolved to maintain its symbolism but with a more refined and cohesive design.
- The transition from UI2 to UI3 reflects a broader trend in design towards simplicity and functionality, where aesthetic choices are made with user experience as a priority.
2. 👨💻 Figma's Icon Evolution: A Designer's Journey
- The designer joined Figma during the development of the UI3 icons, with no existing guidelines for icon design, highlighting a gap in structured design processes.
- To address the lack of guidelines, the designer initiated the creation of new icons while simultaneously developing comprehensive guidelines for UI3, ensuring consistency and clarity.
- Approximately 200 new icons were created for the UI3 release, demonstrating the extensive scope of the redesign project.
- Existing icons were inconsistent, necessitating a revision and expansion to enhance uniformity and functionality across the icon set.
- The transition from UI2 to UI3 represented a significant stylistic shift, indicating a strategic decision to modernize the icon aesthetic and improve user experience.
3. 🔍 UI 2 vs. UI 3: A Comparative Analysis
3.1. Icon Design and Visual Aesthetics
3.2. User Experience and Interface Philosophy
4. 🚦 Crafting Consistency with a Touch of Playfulness
- Icons should maintain consistency akin to traffic signs to prevent confusion, especially in high-traffic areas where quick information absorption is crucial.
- In unique or low-traffic areas, playful elements can be infused into icons to enhance charm without causing confusion, such as transforming a scroll-to icon into an anchor symbol.
- Prototyping stages offer an opportunity to experiment with fun elements in icons, allowing designs to evolve creatively while keeping the overall system intact.
- Consistent iconography ensures quick comprehension, while playful designs in controlled areas can make interactions more memorable and enjoyable.
5. 🔄 Embracing Iteration and Feedback in Design
- Initial design challenges included communicating complex actions like 'mouse over' with icons, highlighting the need for effective iteration and feedback.
- Feedback-driven changes significantly improved icon clarity by adding elements like a cross and check mark to denote outcomes, demonstrating practical improvements.
- Balancing visual weight and context within icon sets is crucial for effective prototyping; iteration helped refine these aspects, emphasizing the importance of cohesive design collections.
- The decision to use a d-pad icon over a full console shows how iteration can incorporate personal design preferences and nostalgia, impacting final outcomes.
6. 💡 Creating Unique Icons: From Concept to Execution
- Custom icon creation is labor-intensive but allows for flexibility and customization beyond existing icon sets.
- Using pre-existing icon sets is sufficient for many applications, but complex apps like Figma often require unique icons not found in standard sets.
- Building icons internally or contracting them is necessary when required icons are not available in existing sets.
- Involving and training other designers in the icon creation process can distribute workload and foster skill development.
- Encouraging designers to create their own icons ensures they are contextual and tailored to specific project needs.
- Collaboration with designers aids in achieving pixel-perfect results and consistent stylistic choices in icon libraries.
- Training designers involves teaching them the technical aspects of vector graphics, scalability, and the use of design software tools.
- The process of creating icons includes brainstorming, sketching, digital drafting, and iterative feedback and refinement.
- Technical aspects of icon creation, such as maintaining consistency in line weight and color palettes, are crucial for a cohesive design.
7. 📝 The Design Process: Sketching and Prototyping
- Start icon design by identifying the type needed; use existing conventions for well-known actions to maintain user familiarity.
- Conduct research on existing icon patterns using search engines to understand current trends for unique designs.
- Begin with sketching to quickly explore ideas before moving to digital tools like Figma.
- Use paper and pen for fast, cost-effective prototyping, transitioning to digital platforms for collaboration and feedback.
- Icons enhance user interface design, aiding recognition and understanding, especially in menus with text.
- Follow design system guidelines on sizing, stroke thickness, and styles to ensure consistency.
- Balance visual weight and complexity by assessing icons from a distance to ensure cohesion.
- Iterate on icon designs by refining details, recognizing the impact of small changes.
- Pair icons with text to clarify complex concepts, enhancing user understanding.
- Experiment with abstract designs for highlights and shadows, ensuring effective communication of meaning.
- Transition from sketching to digital tools for detailed refinement and collaborative feedback.
The Wall Street Journal - Why Trump’s Tariff Plan Is Getting Riskier, According to Economists | WSJ
The proposal for reciprocal tariffs by President Trump aims to level the playing field by imposing tariffs on countries that tariff US goods. However, economists warn that this could lead to increased prices for US consumers as companies pass on the higher import costs. The policy could also reduce the variety and reliability of products available in the US by discouraging foreign companies from entering the market. Additionally, reciprocal tariffs may not effectively reduce the trade deficit as companies might shift supply chains to other countries to avoid tariffs, and the overall impact could lead to a decrease in both imports and exports, leaving the trade deficit unchanged. The complexity of implementing such tariffs, given the vast number of items and trading partners involved, further complicates the situation. Economists also express concern that these tariffs could worsen inflation and potentially lead the US into a recession.
Key Points:
- Reciprocal tariffs could increase consumer prices as companies pass on higher import costs.
- The policy might reduce product variety and discourage foreign market entry.
- Shifting supply chains could negate the intended effects on the trade deficit.
- Implementation is complex due to numerous items and trading partners.
- Economists warn of potential inflation and recession risks.
Details:
1. 💼 Trump's Reciprocal Tariffs Plan Unveiled
- President Trump plans to implement reciprocal tariffs, a strategy where the US will impose equivalent tariffs on countries that tariff US goods.
- This approach is expected to affect a broader range of countries compared to previous tariffs, expanding the scope of trade impact.
- Economists highlight the risk of increased consumer prices in the US as a direct consequence of these tariffs, potentially affecting various sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture.
- Experts warn that this could escalate trade tensions, leading to a more challenging international trade environment for US businesses.
- The plan builds on previous tariffs that targeted specific countries and products, aiming to create a fairer trade balance according to the administration.
- However, critics argue that this could lead to retaliatory measures from trade partners, complicating diplomatic and economic relations.
2. 📈 Economic Concerns: Rising Prices and Consumer Impact
- Tariffs increase the price of everyday goods as companies transfer higher import costs to consumers, leading to a noticeable rise in consumer expenditure.
- Reciprocal tariffs amplify the effect, impacting more industries such as electronics and agriculture, further raising prices and reducing purchasing power.
- Tariffs reduce entry by foreign companies due to insufficient market potential, limiting competition and innovation within domestic markets.
- Reduced foreign company entry decreases product variety available to consumers, limiting options and potentially driving up prices of existing products.
- In the long term, reduced competition could lead to higher prices and stagnation in product development, affecting overall economic growth.
3. ⚖️ Fairness or Foul? The Debate on Trade Tariffs
- Trump advocates for reciprocal tariffs to level the playing field, asserting that other nations impose significantly higher tariffs on the US, which he deems as unfair.
- The US has been perceived as being exploited by many countries over the years, and there is a resolve to prevent this from continuing.
- Fairness in trade deals previously didn't involve a direct comparison of tariff lines because of the complexity and multiple issues involved in determining a fair deal.
- The US is one of 166 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and WTO rules mandate offering the best rates to all members unless special agreements are made with allies.
- The World Trade Organization operates on the assumption that overall lower tariff rates are beneficial for the global economy.
- A practical example is the tariff on US cars, which faces significantly higher tariffs in some countries compared to the low tariffs imposed by the US, highlighting the discrepancy addressed by reciprocal tariffs.
- The debate includes the impact of WTO rules that require members to extend the best tariff rates to all unless specific trade agreements exist, which complicates the US's ability to enforce higher tariffs selectively.
4. 🔍 Trade Deficits: Causes and Consequences
4.1. Tariff Imbalance and Trade Deficit
4.2. Dollar-Denominated Assets
4.3. Federal Budget Deficit
4.4. Economists' Perspective on Trade Deficit
4.5. Ineffectiveness of Bilateral Tariffs
4.6. Impact of Higher Tariffs
4.7. Reciprocal Tariffs and Supply Chains
4.8. Shifts in Trade Patterns
5. 🔄 Implementing Tariffs: Challenges and Complexities
- Implementing reciprocal tariffs involves complex logistics due to the impact on thousands of items and nearly 200 US trading partners, presenting significant challenges in coordination and execution.
- Reciprocal tariffs may not necessarily support effective industrial policy, as they could inadvertently allow other countries to influence US tariff rates, potentially undermining domestic economic goals.
- Despite the US's intention to engage in reciprocal tariffs, many countries already maintain lower tariff rates compared to the US, making the plans to lower US tariffs unclear and potentially counterproductive.
- The strategy includes targeting the European Union's Value Added Tax (VAT), which is akin to a sales tax at approximately 20%, highlighting a specific area where the US perceives competitive disadvantage.
- The US auto industry faces substantial job losses and perceived unfair treatment from international competitors, motivating the implementation of tariffs as a protective measure.
