The First Law of Computer Graphics
If it looks right, it is right.
— Fletcher Dunn, Ian Parberry “3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development”.
In the book this “law” is given in the context of 3D graphics and some specific technical decisions, but it can be applied in a much broader sense to anything that you see on the screen, including GUI and websites.
Engineers typically have a natural sense of what feels “right” when it comes to the elegance and logic of a system. It’s hard to believe that a code riddled with complexities, inconsistencies, and mysterious constants could actually be good, isn’t it?
When it comes to the design of GUI this intuition leads to the notion that circles should be round, lines are parallel, objects are aligned relative to each other and be of the same size, while their motion is to be expressed by simple analytical functions.
But this is the opposite of how human perception works. I was always fascinated by how complex are in reality designs that on the first look seem completely trivial.
The letter G used as the Google icon is just a circle, right? Actually, no.
Or check out how tricky is 7/11 logo.
Or literally any font on your computer.
Dealing with any graphics is an art and computer graphics (including UI) is not an exception. I don’t mean “art” in the sense of a “skill that is attained by study, practice, or observation” 1 although, of course it is. I mean that making GUI is alike painting with colors and brushes.
When you make anything visual the most important if it looks right and everything else comes after.
Sometimes it’s annoying because you spent time on things like slightly misaligning elements so they would appear aligned, and making subtle changes in the sizes of objects of different shapes so they would seem to be of the same size.
Sometimes it’s a blessing because you can stop worrying about “how to do it right” and just do it.