Most software gets in the way. Ours tries not to. Here's how.
There's a version of design that wants to impress you. We're not interested in that. We want software that's obvious to use, that you stop noticing after the first five minutes. That's harder to pull off than it sounds.
What we aim for
The Philosophy
01
User feels
productive
02
User feels
relaxed
03
User feels
delighted
04
Software feels
simple
05
Software feels natural
06
Software feels consistent
Principles
The Philosophy
Frappe builds a lot of products. At that scale it's easy for things to start looking inconsistent, like different teams making different calls. We try not to let that happen. A few things we keep coming back to:
1.
Design is copy
The most important part of any design is the words. Every label and button should mean exactly what it does.
2.
Keep it minimal
Remove unnecessary elements, borders, wasted clicks. If it doesn't need to be there, it shouldn't be.
3.
Let the user focus
Nothing should pull attention away from the work. The UI should disappear once someone's actually using it.
4.
Create hierarchy
Break the system into elements. Let people get to where they're going without thinking about how.
5.
Guide, don't overwhelm
Every screen needs relevant actions within reach. One primary action at a time. If there's no clear winner, don't force one.
6.
Add context, not clutter
Connections, warnings, settings, all of it close to where it's needed. Enrich the data, don't crowd the screen.
