This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things (In Software Development)

You’ve been there. 

Your code is a steaming pile of bugs. It crashes if you breathe on it too hard (protip: use a recording for the demo), and it has the performance of a toaster running Doom Eternal. When it’s due to be shown to the client the entire dev team wants to hide under their desks.

So why is the client so pleased with your work? It’s the flashy UI which compensates for the (really, really) clear failings of the code.

“The app doesn’t work. But at least it’s got some sweet animations.”

You know what? The client’s right.

The MVP Might Just Be the Designer

Look, I like a good UI as much as the next dev, which is not at all.

Yet clients still feel that special kind of satisfaction when scrolling through an app and seeing their name up in lights.

This UI façade might just be what the client is looking for, but so would a mockup in Figma. The truth is your designer and client feel the end customer wants a flashy-looking toy, but developers know there is no value in software that doesn’t deliver functionality. It needs to work.

No, Seriously, It’s Broken

Sometimes I wonder whether there is a secret cabal of designers who have the goal of making software developers look incompetent. Animations that actually degrade the user experience? 

Yet the harsh reality is, that while that UI makes the app look great in demos, we need to think about functionality before it is too late.

Software isn’t a picture in the corner of the room. Design is important but it needs to be backed up by functionality, and it’s the functionality that delivers the value.

When Will We Learn?

So, here’s a wild idea: what if we cared about the backend as much as we do the front end? What if we didn’t get blindsided by the “UI Designer Strut” while ignoring the crashing errors in the background? 

Maybe then we wouldn’t have to scramble during launch week, slapping duct tape over gaping security holes and praying the app doesn’t explode in the hands of users.

Conclusion

Good software does it all. It looks good, performs great and does what it is meant to do.

Don’t forget that, please.