The "Design in Code" Debate is Back, again..

So the head of design at Cursor recently posted this on X. Designers at Shopify, ramp, notion all became coders this year with Cursor. From prototypes to ship

with Cursor. From prototypes to ship features, software design is back to its roots. Designing with code, key phrase,

roots. Designing with code, key phrase, designing with code. This is a debate that's not new. In fact, it was raging even before AI started. And some

designers would say, I rather just design and code literally typing out HTML and CSS and some JavaScript without using Figma first because they felt it made them faster and you're designing in

the actual medium. And my argument was always against that because typically UIUX design is an iterative pro process.

You know, you kind of have to experiment and having a free flowing canvas allows you to iterate faster and get to a really polished end result faster if you

take that first step. But now since the rise of AI, designers now can produce prototypes that actually function in the browser because you don't have to understand, you don't have to spend the time learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

I think that's a great thing. But

there's a caveat here. There's a lot of people that are new to this industry now because anybody can code, right? Anybody

can make an app and get rich. And a lot of these people, they don't have a technical background in terms of actual development like with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. They also don't have a

JavaScript. They also don't have a design background, meaning they don't understand basic UI design principles and UX design principles. So when they see stuff like this, like tweets like

this, they think, "Oh, okay. Well, you

know, we probably or I could probably just use something like cursor and tell it to use a polished UI framework or a kit of some sort like shad CN templates

and my design is going to be great, right? There's not going to be issues

right? There's not going to be issues with it. Well, that's the problem

with it. Well, that's the problem because I've had people actually share with me their Shad CN designs and their layouts and I could spot like five different things within the first second

or two that are objectively wrong about the UI. See, because when it comes to

the UI. See, because when it comes to development, we have vibe coders, right?

They don't have a technical background.

And the people who are classically handtrained as developers, they're quick to point out, you're kind of just hoping and praying that your product is a, you

know, performant, it's secure, b, and then c it actually works. And the same exact parallel exists in the design world. You're kind of just hoping and

world. You're kind of just hoping and praying that the AI is able to kind of construct your UI components if you're using something like Shadan in such a

way that is going to adhere to great UI principles and great UX principles. But

guess what? Generative AI is very wishy-washy in that regard. And just

because you're using something like a Shaden template does not mean you get to forego understanding basic UI fundamentals. So what are those basic UI

fundamentals. So what are those basic UI fundamentals? I keep talking about.

fundamentals? I keep talking about.

Well, first we have visual hierarchy.

All right. We have color and contrast.

We have topography. We have the usage of whites space in terms of margins and paddings. We have alignment. We have the

paddings. We have alignment. We have the concept of scale. There's a lot of things that actually go into it. And if

you don't have the eye to look for these things specifically, then you are hoping, wishing, and praying that your end result is just going to be good.

However, having said that, I think it's perfectly fine if you want to go and forego the usage of something like Figma and you want to start your project and your design with code like through

something like cloud code or cursor and maybe you're using shad CN. I think

that's perfectly fine if you understand what UI is in terms of good fundamentals and principles and having that design

that that eye for design that's required in order to understand truly if this is actually a good UI. Simply using

existing UI kit is not going to get you there. So I just wanted to put that out

there. So I just wanted to put that out there. Me personally, I still use Figma.

there. Me personally, I still use Figma.

Um, even though I can use templates in in cursor or whatever, I still use Figma to at least get a couple screens up high fidelity so that I know the exact

aesthetic that I want so that it matches the branding and the feel that I want.

Does that mean everybody else should do the same thing? Absolutely not. But at

the very least, whatever you do, you need to spend time learning what good UI design is. Shad CN and just the fact

design is. Shad CN and just the fact that you can use cursor to create UIs now is not a substitute for understanding what good UI design is and you can only get there through

practicing. All right, practicing a lot

practicing. All right, practicing a lot and taking the time to develop that eye.

I just wanted to put that out there just so that people don't get this wrong, you know, these mixed signals from some of these bigger accounts. A lot of these people, they already know how to design.

They already know what great design is.

So that doesn't mean that you get to forego understanding that as well just because you can use a UI kit. Anyhow,

that was my take today. I will see you all very soon with more videos. Make

sure to subscribe up and I'll see you soon. Goodbye.

soon. Goodbye.