There are three paths, but only one leads to success.

The first is stagnation: continuing without improvement. This path is deceptively easy, but it ultimately leads to falling behind and losing the game.

The second is progress in the wrong direction: this is a journey of advancement, but misdirected efforts eventually culminate in disastrous outcomes.

The third, and ironically the least traversed, is progress in the right direction. Despite being the most rational choice, it's also the most challenging.

True progress in the correct direction often involves discomfort. While stagnation is effortless yet unfulfilling, what most people tend to choose feels like progress but is, in reality, a misstep in the wrong direction.

Doing

Last week, I briefly introduced my work on the new color management system for Once UI. This system will feature a spectrum of predefined colors, each maintaining consistent contrast across similar weights, and one, unified palette for both light and dark modes.

This enhancement will reduce complexity and boost flexibility and performance. I plan to update The Design Dividend with this new concept. Moreover, there's a good chance that it will be reformatted to replace the current “Foundations” section in the Once UI documentation with the next release.

I'm continuing my deep dive into Framer, and as I grow more adept with the software, I'm beginning to appreciate just how much I've been missing out on.

Framer is simply magical.

The highlight for me, apart from its user interface that feels remarkably intuitive, especially after my experience with Figma, is the effortless creation of transitions and animations. It's similar to Figma's smart animate feature, except it outputs real, production-ready code.

Q&A

Every week I publish an answer to some interesting questions from the design community. Ask / Tag me on our Discord or Reddit, and it may get featured here.

“Do you think becoming good in design is learnable, or do you have to be talented?”

As seen on Reddit.

Talent is a fascinating subject. When you inquire about talent with those deemed as such, you'll often find they don't consider themselves talented. In fact, some even debate the very existence of talent.

Count me among them.

My belief doesn't rest on talent, but on interest, commitment, and time. When you're intrigued by something, dedicate yourself to learning it, and invest time in it, you'll gradually improve and excel.

Staying consistent with this mindset not only leads to improvement but to excellence. The sooner you start, the better your chances of success.

So, don't hold back under the misconception of lacking talent.

Dive in headfirst and commence your journey without hesitation.

News

In the midst of my emotional involvement while crafting last week's newsletter, I overlooked sharing a significant piece of news. You might already be aware, but for those living under a rock: Adobe has called off the acquisition of Figma.

Whether this is good or bad news is up for personal interpretation. From my perspective, it's good news for fostering healthy competition. Moreover, I'm not a fan of Adobe's pricing strategy, which I think fails to offer fair options for hobbyists or professionals who only need occasional access to their products.

To be fair, it's worth noting that Figma has engaged in some shady practices lately, which in a way, would have aligned them well with Adobe.

Setting that aside, I don't believe Figma should prioritize integrating their software within the Adobe ecosystem. There are numerous other avenues and superior initiatives they could pursue instead.

Creative Friday

I had some fun customizing and synchronizing the light effects of my PC, screen display, and other light sources. Creating my ideal workstation has always been a top priority for me.

Even though I strive to limit long working hours nowadays, ergonomics are crucial for preserving my physical well-being. Additionally, having aesthetically pleasing and high-performance equipment aids in maintaining my focus, creative flow and productivity during work hours.

Equipment:-> Cintiq 24 Pro + Ergo Stand

-> Elgato Wave Mic Arm-> Rode NT USB mini-> JBL pulse 3-> Logi G703-> ROG Falchion (Red switch)PC:-> GeForce RTX 3070 OC 8GB-> AMD Ryzen 5 7600X 4.7GHz-> Asus ROG Strix B650

Useful links

Join our DiscordI’m available for a few portfolio reviews (with public feedback).I may offer private portfolio reviews later on.Let me know if you’re interested.Connect on LinkedInI know there’s a lot of clutter on LinkedIn.I’ll try my best to share valuable content.Check out our productsThough *some* may claim a service like this doesn’t exist, it does:We offer 180-day money-back guarantee for individuals for Once UI.

Lastly,☕ Buy me a coffee - I really need one :)

Reply - let me know how you liked this, and forward it to your creative friends!Speak soon,Lorant

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