Confession: I’m a UX designer who’s actually bad at making things "pretty." 👋
Hi PH!
I have a confession to make. I’m a UX designer with a CS background, but I’ve never been good at those "flashy, pixel-perfect" Dribbble-style designs. For a long time, I felt like an impostor.
But then I realized: My obsession isn't with how it looks, but with how it works. I care more about the invisible "Logic Flow" than the visible "Visual Trends." I’m the type of designer who would rather build an ugly tool that solves a painful problem in 2 clicks than a beautiful one that takes 10.
I’m currently building tools that help founders clear the "strategy fog" in their heads. I believe the best UX isn't a button color; it’s the clarity of knowing exactly what to build next.
I’m curious about your "Builder’s Aesthetic": Do you value a sleek, modern UI more, or are you okay with "Ugly but Useful" as long as it gets the job done? What’s the most useful "ugly" tool in your stack?
Replies
Hey Lily! 👋
Honestly, UX and UI exist as separate concepts for a reason — a UX designer doesn't have to be good at UI, and that's totally fine.
The "elegant vs ugly but useful" debate really comes down to what you're optimizing for. Apple wins on aesthetics. Others win on raw functionality. Some users want to feel something when they open an app, others just want the job done. Neither is wrong — it depends on who you're building for.
What's the tool you mentioned that clears the strategy fog?
"Ugly but useful" is a total badge of honor for anyone building real solutions! My niche market discovery journey with Bunzee was all about cutting through the fog with logic instead of shiny pixels. An agentic workflow that actually clears the path is worth a thousand Dribbble shots. What's the one "ugly" tool you simply can't live without?