The aim of these guidelines is to assist software developers and interface designers in creating their app using Orchid. They outline specific design elements and principles, while also fostering a design philosophy that guides you in making informed decisions when deviating from the guidelines.

Keep in mind that this is a set of guidelines, not a rule book. New, amazing interaction paradigms appear every day and more are waiting to be discovered. This is a living document that can and will be changed.

Before diving into the fundamentals, it’s crucial to grasp a clear definition of design. However, more importantly, we must dispel two prevalent misconceptions.

Design Is Not Something You Add On After You’ve Completed a Product.

Whether you realize it or not, you are constantly designing anything you build. It is an intrinsic part of creating something. Design is not just what something looks like. It’s not just the colors and fonts. Design is how it works. When you decide to add a button that does a thing, that is design. You made a decision to add a button with an icon or a label and where that button went and the size and color of that button. Decisions are designs.

Design Is Not Just, Like, Your Opinion, Man

Consider different types of bicycles. A folding bicycle has a different set of design goals than a mountain bicycle. Things like weight, size, and tire tread are important and competing factors in helping the intended audience reach their goals. Because we understand that design is about solving specific problems, we must also understand that we can objectively compare the effectiveness of two designs at solving those problems.

References

This guide has been influenced by the following documents:

• GNOME Human Interface Guidelines
• Human Interface Guidelines for elementary OS
• Photon Design System
• Apple HIG
• Kontur Guides
• Fiori Design Guidelines
• Nielsen Norman Group

These documents offer valuable insights and best practices for designing interfaces that prioritize the user experience. By following the guidelines outlined in these resources, this guide aims to provide a comprehensive and well-informed approach to interface design specifically for Orchid apps.