Dev Design Handbook

A personal knowledge base for UI/UX fundamentals, focused on practical design knowledge for developers.

Design Principles

The five fundamental principles of visual design — essential building blocks for creating professional, polished interfaces.

• Proximity — Creating relationships through spacing
• Alignment — Establishing order through structure
• Repetition — Building consistency through patterns
• Contrast — Directing focus through differences
• Balance — Distributing visual weight

User Experience (UX)

Understanding user experience fundamentals — from research methodologies to design deliverables.

• What is UX? — Understanding user experience fundamentals
• UX Methodologies — Frameworks for UX execution
• User Research — Data-driven design foundations
• UX Design — From architecture to prototypes

Layout

Web layout and composition — establishing solid structure as the foundation for visual elements.

• Using a Grid — Organisational structure with columns and gutters
• Choosing a Layout — Layout patterns and reading behaviours
• Responsive Design — Adapting layouts across devices

Typography

Choosing and working with typography on the web — typeface selection, pairing, and vertical rhythm.

• Type Basics — Core components and classifications
• Choosing Type for the Web — Selection, pairing, and sizing
• Vertical Rhythm — Spacing and mathematical order

Color Theory

Color theory fundamentals — terminology, psychology, and building professional palettes.

• Color Terminology — Hue, saturation, lightness, and temperature
• The Color Wheel — Color sets and relationships
• Color Psychology — Cultural and emotional associations
• Picking a Color Scheme — Building professional palettes
• Implementing Color for Digital Screens — Web color modes and accessibility

---

Content derived from "Design for Developers" by Stephanie Stimac (Manning)