You don’t need to be an artist to create clean, user-friendly designs. If you’re a developer who struggles with the “aesthetic” side of your projects—or worse, if your designs end up looking like a coding error—this session is for you.

Learn how to apply the same logical mindset you use for programming to design. We’ll cover six core principles—Unity, Contrast, Proximity, Flow, Hierarchy, and Whitespace—that will help you create better, more functional designs. We’ll also dive deeper into typography and color, including tips on using color with accessibility in mind.

By the end of the session, you’ll have actionable strategies to improve your designs and stop using the “I’m not a designer” excuse. You don’t need to be an artist, just a developer with the right tools and mindset.

Previous Feedback:

“Best talk of the @codecampnyc day...fantastic stuff!”
 ~Barry May (http://bit.ly/2lPD06O)

“@jayharris just gave the best presentation I attended all day. Not to disparage any of the others. He just crushed it. #codecampnyc”
 ~Andrew J. Dittman (http://bit.ly/2joRKeh)

“Energy filled talk about design for #NonDesigners w/ @jayharris was excellent! Need to go make a few changes to my website.”
 ~Kandace Gordon (http://bit.ly/2kqkxAY)

Learning Objectives:

• An understanding of the fundamentals of design.
• An introduction to implementing type and color.
• An introduction to designing for accessibility.

Topics:

• Fundamentals of composition and design
• Examples of implementing fundamentals
• Fundamentals for implementing type
• Fundamentals for choosing and implementing color palettes
• Fundamentals for designing for accessibility and color blindness