Jenny Wen — What we don't talk about when we talk about quality...

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As a designer, I’ve caught myself pushing for quality and not having a great articulation for why it matters. “It bothers people” and “it degrades trust,” I’ve said. As a collective, we haven’t done a great job defending it against speed and business objectives. We’ve even gotten a reputation of being perfectionists and worrying too much about the details that don’t matter. But I’ve been mulling on it, and I think I’ve got it… Quality adds value to digital products. It makes them worth using and ultimately, paying more for. If you think about physical objects, we all understand the impact of quality. But for some reason, we’re not used to talking about software this way. Let’s try a few examples! You’ll get what I mean. It’s the difference between a poly-blend sweater that’s itchy and pills or a cashmere one that’s soft and lasts a lifetime… …sitting on a plastic lawn chair versus lounging in an Eames chair… …or eating a frozen fettuccine alfredo instead of a freshly made one — handmad

Jenny Wen — Notes December 24, 2023 What we don't talk about when we talk about quality... As a designer, I’ve caught myself pushing for quality and not having a great articulation for why it matters. “It bothers people” and “it degrades trust,” I’ve said. As a collective, we haven’t done a great job defending it against speed and business objectives. We’ve even gotten a reputation of being perfectionists and worrying too much about the details that don’t matter. But I’ve been mulling on it, and I think I’ve got it… Quality adds value to digital products. It makes them worth using and ultimate

Jenny Wen — What we don't talk about when we talk about quality...

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