2020 Software Design ✮

Software design in 2020 was ugly, frantic, and exhausting. But it was also the first time the industry collectively remembered that on the other side of the screen is a tired, hungry, slightly frantic human being.

In response, 2020 became the year of .

Suddenly, users were on 3G connections in their backyard. They had a toddler screaming in one ear and a dog barking in the other. They were using a trackpad with one hand while holding a coffee in the other. 2020 software design

And software? Software had to catch up. Fast. Software design in 2020 was ugly, frantic, and exhausting

If you look at the history of software design, certain years act as "pressure cookers." 2007 (the iPhone) changed ergonomics. 2004 (Web 2.0) changed participation. But 2020? 2020 didn’t change technology. It changed context . Suddenly, users were on 3G connections in their backyard

Suddenly, onboarding had to happen in "micro-moments." A tool like Loom exploded because there was no onboarding—you just hit record. A tool like Figma thrived because you could watch a collaborator work in real-time.

In the span of a few weeks, the world went remote. The kitchen table became the boardroom. The living room became the kindergarten. The bathroom became a private sanctuary for Zoom calls you prayed nobody would notice.