6 UI Hacks I Wish I Knew As A Beginner

Some things you just wish you learned YEARS earlier in your career. These 6 practical UI tips and tricks will save you a lot of time and make your UIs look much more crisp - without a bunch of effort.
🔴 Find More Free Learning Resources Here: timgabe.com/
Timecodes
00:00 Introduction
02:11 Hack 1
03:35 Hack 2
04:58 Hack 3
06:15 Hack 4
07:56 Hack 5
08:38 Hack 6

[@PS3NoScopezz]

I've summarized the main points 1. Importance of Line Height in Typography: Good design involves appropriate line height, with the recommended range being 1.1 to 1.3 times the text size for headings and 1.3 to 1.5 times for body text. This improves readability and the overall aesthetic of the design. 2. Letter Spacing Makes a Difference: Adjusting the space between characters, known as letter spacing, can enhance the design. Negative letter spacing is suggested for headings to add a certain crispness but should be avoided for body text to maintain readability. 3. Proper Text Alignment is Essential: Avoid center-aligning long paragraphs, as it can slow down reading speed. For anything that spans more than three lines of text, left alignment is recommended. Also, avoid mixing alignments between headings and body text. 4. Considerations for Text Width: Based on a study by The Baymard Institute, long lines of text can overwhelm users, leading to less engagement and lower conversions. A good range to maintain is 50 to 75 characters for body text, with around 600 pixels width for a desktop screen. 5. Hierarchy,: Avoid overusing text sizes to indicate hierarchy. Try to stick to two different font sizes, using font weight and color changes for hierarchy. 6. Spacing: Consider the space between text elements; elements with closer relationships should be positioned closer. Use multipliers to maintain consistent spacing between elements.

[@florians.6402]

Not all heroes wear capes

[@hamzamo.7180]

you dropped this 👑

[@calimio6]

You missed "consistensy". It seem obvious but having a subset of rules means nothing if they are applied ambigously through a site, book or any other material. If an icon is at an odd place is going to look weird but if your design iterates over that, then is a key part of the design language.

[@subhamghosh5335]

King!

[@jaguar81gt10]

thank you so much man

[@ChaneLX645]

Watch this in 1.5 speed

[@TimGabe]

haha, slow talker!!

[@Dormirnix]

I did it and I love it in 1.5x tnx I'll be doing this for slow talkers now

[@namaefumei]

Slow is fine. Many of us aren't native English speakers. Thanks for the video!

[@demihau]

i’m not native but its still slow

[@gnack420]

You're not kidding haha

[@WoodymC]

_"Whitespace is an active element"_ This is not just applicable in graphical / UI design: I taught my colleagues the same thing in terms of coding style. A blank line doesn't hurt while typing, but improves readability immensely and also serves as an indicator for logical blocks of statements, thus helping to keep a more "organized" code. The requirement (and benefit!) to the programmer is that s/he would have to _think_ about how to best group their statements and what they actually do, effectively resulting in a "two-pass" process of writing code and verifying it. Step two -- rearranging logical blocks into groups of similar types of code (declarations / assignments vs. pure statements) -- would be the next resulting optimization pass; however, this is not about typography anymore.

[@devroom8904]

You are totally correct about the readability of code. White space is very much necessary, we learn this in time just like UI/UX designers and the points made in the video.

[@svenyboyyt2304]

Not using a code formatter is a crime.

[@WoodymC]

@@svenyboyyt2304 Weeell...not exactly. However, not being able or not willing to properly adhere to a given format is -- regardless of having an automated formatter at hand or not.

[@eamax]

I like the term negative space. It feels much more intentional and active than something left "white".

[@thomashayes3783]

Literally just started learning code a few days ago and I already naturally am trying to do this, I think? It feels natural because of the similarities to writing in paragraphs in normal human language. Blank line above and below a block of text that are probably related to each other functionally. I don't even know if I'm making sense at the moment, I'm so new. Haha!

[@Robiu666]

1.5 speed is the normal speed

[@stevengonzalez8898]

Currently in my IxD major we have 3 typography classes, learning typography is so important.

[@TimGabe]

yes... it's so underrated among people (my younger self included) that haven't dabbled in design before. 😅

[@VidarrKerr]

There is a reason why there are so many font styles and how and why people privately own fonts. It is so confusing in the beginning of learning. A watching a video about, reading about, or generally studying the history of typography is worth the time.

[@owcaandroid]

@@VidarrKerr yeeah, I absolutely agree but it is not simple. I started to read about that while ago and still have many issues among different apsects in that field. So many questions and in the end all comes to "feeling" when you are watching your piece and just thinking "hmm there is sth wrong BUT I DONT KNOW WHAT IS IT omg mayhe kerning? Nooo, maybe weight?" xD

[@awsom3202]

You’re studying computer science?

[@Always-gloomy]

@@awsom3202the major is interaction design

[@uifry]

Couldn't agree more! It's incredible how a few well-chosen tips can revolutionize your UI work. Learning from the experiences of those who've been in the field for years is like unlocking a treasure chest of wisdom. The fact that these tips promise not only to save time but also to elevate the overall look and feel of UIs is incredibly enticing.

[@TimGabe]

right?!

[@phembl]

Just as a small hint, you can give percentage values in Figma input fields. So instead of writing the font size times 1.2 you can just write 120%.

[@adamkatsu9795]

Yes, it's also more convenient for devs to use percentage so we don't need to adjust the px in every screen breakpoints.

[@mormatus]

The use of a multiplier is even simpler, no need to maintain the mental model for percentage

[@florentguillamet6892]

You earned a like and a follow just from that first hack you shared. As a new designer struggling to find a place, having concrete numbers to rely on as a base is really helpful. Thank you so much !

[@alanmurray4011]

I’ve been watching a lot of your videos recently and just subscribed. I love the balance between practical advice and keeping them concise. Keep up the awesome work Tim 😎

[@TimGabe]

that's so nice to hear, Alan. 🙏 I will take that feedback to heart and make sure that I stick to what people like. thanks a lot man!! 😃

[@geekynerddemon]

As a "forced to do design work" in my current job and not something I have actually studied I find all of these "hacks" a. very easy to implement, b. easy to understand, c. they just make sense. Thank you!

[@ronymansor6805]

The video quality is awesome The way the explanation is fun with the application of tips One of the best videos explaining typography ⁦❤️⁩⁦❤️⁩⁦❤️⁩

[@TimGabe]

wow, thank you Rony. I put a lot of time into this one, so I’m very happy to receive feedback like this 😍💜

[@tenzingyaltshen]

Hey Tim, as a new UX designer preparing to enter the field, I really like what you’ve shared and found it really important. I’ll take it forward with me, thanks a lot

[@muttyta]

I just discovered your channel through this video and I love how you take your time to talk and explain everything in detail even giving examples, thank you so much :) I'm a graphic and ux/ui designer and your videos just helped me understand a lot!!!! Thank you!!

[@TimGabe]

that's amazing to hear, thank you for the support and the thorough comment!!

[@davetheglitch_]

When I started up In UI/UX design, I never considered letter spacing in my practice projects and I'd wonder what they weren't looking as good as I wanted. But videos like this helped me improve on my "type use"

[@TimGabe]

me neither - took me a while to realise how much of a difference it really makes 🤩 happy to hear that you found videos like this helpful, my friend!

[@AlissonBirck]

Another video that put into words what I've been using for years without knowing how to explain it! Thank you so much!

[@sunc0re]

I've been doing UI for couple of years, and still learned a lot from this video! Will definitely be doing things differently now! Thanks for quality content, I'm watching them all :)

[@TimGabe]

that is so cool to hear. I love it when I’m able to help people who have been in the space for some time 😃

[@TheDesignCorner]

Love it!!! So many actionable tips, thanks Tim!🤗

[@5minutes106]

Subscribed. Love the brief, straight to the point, value packed content. Thank you.

[@OrensteinDsouza]

Thank you for videos like these. While it is easy to get carried away by fancy looking prototypes and animations, it's the basics like these that keep us grounded in creating meaningful designs.

[@TimGabe]

exactly my friend!

[@SketchbookStudioo]

Solid points here. completely agree!

[@mondojoey]

I've been a self taught designer for over 30 years. While I accidently followed those rules, I never realized I was doing it. Instead, I spent way too much time adjusting elements until they "looked" right. THANK YOU! You just saved me SOOOOO much time!

[@TimGabe]

i did the exaaaact same thing!! happy it was helpful 😃

[@animaiscool]

As a person coming from a software engineering background this is a really helpful video. I've always wondered what were the "hard truths" that made a design good and this definitely help me have a outline

[@TimGabe]

that's amazing to hear, my friend! 🤩

[@Peywan]

this video was fantastic, gave me a good insight of how to think of UI and design and also a new perspective! thank you so much! video was great with all the descriptions and before after effects when you applied what you were talking about for each hack.

[@TimGabe]

thanks a lot for sharing this, peywan! appreciate it!!

[@llu2736]

Absolutely incredible content. Thank you Tim!😊

[@trevorsoh2130]

Really well explained Tim! As a designer, articulating these are so important for our clients, especially when most of the world doesn’t have much of what I describe as visual and content design literacy (and yet our societies have incredible maths, science and language literacy thanks to content design they consume across two decades of learning). Many of the books we learnt on in my generation barely cared for how design impacts learning. But I’m hopeful that things will change for education in the decades ahead as learning becomes more mix-content, AI assisted and as the new generation of young people becomes increasingly more media savvy.

[@djashawe88923]

Awesome tips! I really appreciate how you gave us concrete numbers to work with and not just explain how things are supposed to work in theory! 🤓👍

[@TimGabe]

happy you liked it, my friend 🥳 and thanks for the comment!!

[@caiosaulnier6574]

Your videos are awesome, congratulations! The quality is unbelievable

[@BriLaLaah]

Great lesson and examples. I would have loved to see the original design and updated design side by side.

[@SyntekkTeam]

I struggled with this too, it was hard to appreciate the before and after when everything was moving

[@TimGabe]

heard this a lot (and that it was too fast)... learned from this though, and in an upcoming video that is similar i've made it much more apparent!! 😃

[@XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXZ]

I love how you go just to the point and don't waste our time. You sir just got a new suscriber.

[@MrRalphbro]

Underrated video. Some of these tips took me a way too long to figure out on my own, solid tips

[@chatif1476]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:14 Understanding the "why" behind design choices is crucial. 00:55 Typography involves more than just font choice; it's about how you use it. 02:15 Line height significantly impacts design; aim for 1.1-1.3x for headings, 1.3-1.5x for body text. 03:34 Adjust letter spacing for better aesthetics, but be cautious not to compromise readability. 05:11 Avoid center-aligned paragraphs for better reading speed; stick to left alignment. 06:20 Maintain a text width of 50-75 characters for better user comprehension and conversion. 08:11 Use font weight and color changes for hierarchy; limit text sizes to two. 09:09 Treat white space as an active design element; consider relationships between elements. Made with HARPA AI

[@TimGabe]

thanks friend!!

[@DallinJeppsonMusic]

Brilliant! Thanks for delivering such helpful information in a concise and easy-to-understand way!

[@TimGabe]

appreciate the love, my friend!!

[@kaii456]

Hmm for hack 3, I'd say the "dont mix the heading and body alignment could be taken with a grain of salt, because in my experience for mobile, a centered heading followed by a long left aligned body paragraph for certain content heavy pages is often used out in the wild

[@TimGabe]

definitely depends on the case, but i'd say that even for mobile use cases it's better to just stick to left-alignment if you're unsure 😃

[@the_dark_byte]

Great video, well explained with awesome use of visuals etc. Thanks for all the effort you put in. It really shows 👌😎

[@TimGabe]

appreciate it, thank you!!

[@SpaceisFunnySF]

Thank you so much for sharing this knowledge and experience! It’s invaluable! ❤

[@TimGabe]

happy to be helpful, friend 💜

[@GoddessofWarr]

Great video, I love the way you explain things, its super clear, love it !

[@TimGabe]

makes me genuinely glad to hear this. thanks a ton 🙌😃

[@zoet7517]

These were so well thought out that I immediately subscribed!v Looking forward to checking out your older videos!

[@TimGabe]

thank you so much, glad you're on the team!!

[@0xtotis]

Absolutey awesome tips and superwell explained. Thanks!

[@TimGabe]

thank you, my friend 😃

[@paschalokafor9043]

I love this. This is my first time on this channel and it was a lovely one. Thank you.

[@TimGabe]

happy you liked it, friend! 🤩

[@herbertpimentel]

This is an enormous helps me (a developer). Now I won't need to keep moving and changing things around until I finally feel good about it. Thank you

[@TimGabe]

happy i could be of help, friend 😃

[@dhruvchaturvedi6343]

Loved the video and the speed. I actually paused and rewinded the video to take notes. Thanks Tim!

[@TimGabe]

thank you so much, my friend!

[@micawilczynski312]

This is the first video I saw summerising actual guidelines with numbers. Thanks a lot!

[@TimGabe]

happy you liked the numbers, Mica!

[@BrookeMotis]

Super helpful thank you!!

[@OkamiWansama]

UI designer here, really like the style and quality of your videos. One thing I noticed, you like to 2x the CTA in relationship to the copy beforehand. I feel it becomes kind of isolated that way and I like to give it the same visual spacing as headline to body copy.

[@TimGabe]

you're right, you don't want it to become too separated and feel like it's a completely isolated element generally for me, as long as there aren't other "groups" of elements that could be linked to the CTA (and confuse), i feel it's fine to go a bit overboard with the spacing! 😃 but still, a good point!!

[@afidas9325]

OMG, love your video! Thank you for sharing awesome tips 🙌

[@TimGabe]

happy to be of help, afidas! 😃

[@kassiopeya8740]

Awesome presentation of information in your videos! Really helpful but also interesting to watch, and good speed to receive the info. Keep it up!

[@TimGabe]

thanks again, Kassiopeya! 😃 so nice of you to put time into a comment like this!

[@SpankIEkzs]

Great lesson. Although the comparison between the before and after designs is somewhat unfair because in the last design, you used colorful background instead of a grayscale one :D But, everything is improved in a great way, so, it`s OK in the end.🤩 Still, an awesome video! Thanks for such great and elaborate content!

[@SkylluszYn]

A lot of improvement from just outright having less copy as well. Which is a good marketing lesson, so long as you aren't a designer forced to work with sales copy from a client - in which case you'd likely want to lay this out differently to accomodate.

[@TimGabe]

thank you!! definitely does a lot, as well as the length of the copy!! super important aspects for creating beautiful looking stuff 🥳

[@maxkosek]

Yeah and the text was modified what is no always allowed while designing. Most of the time I am provided with the text which content I you not touch, you can inform client that it looks bad but many of them will refuse to cut and insist on it as important value. So it’s much harder to apply such changes. And in this edit not only colours are used differently in compared samples but also the text was just cut which is often very problematic

[@cjn2109]

Man i dropped here like a week ago, by an accident, and now i can tell that i'm soo thankful for those multiple videos and tutorials which you create !

[@TimGabe]

so happy to hear it, my friend 🥳💜

[@vanessaleitao5186]

In my opinion, this is the most well-explained explanation of this topic I have heard !!

[@TimGabe]

wow, thanks a lot vanessa!!

[@liokskarbach]

Awesome video, Tim! Keep it up, cheers 🙏

[@TimGabe]

thank you so much Lioks! 🤩🙏

[@nathansimula8058]

Great tips as usual, thanks a lot Tim ! :)

[@TimGabe]

thank you so much Nathan. 🙌🥳

[@sanjitsaha5000]

In so glad someone brought this up I'm not alone at last

[@michaelabanin]

Your narrative, voice and articulation manners sounds really comfortable. Enough to subscribe to your channel right after watching this one video. Cool content🥕

[@TimGabe]

that's a really nice comment, michael! thank you!!

[@lamiajoyee]

Man, I learned these 'basic' things through years of trial and error and assumption. Really wish someone told me the exact values back in the day. I almost envy the kids who are new to design nowadays. Anyways, great video, informative, short and sweet.

[@TimGabe]

haha, me too Lamia! now, the trial and error will always be there... but imagine skipping those unnecessary detours though 😅 thanks for commenting and sharing the love! 🥳

[@currenluna]

Great video. This helps me understand why I like some designs more than others!

[@TimGabe]

that's awesome! thanks a lot for the comment!

[@alangfp]

Thank you so much! Such great content! I’ve just subscribed!!!

[@TimGabe]

happy to hear that you liked it, my friend 😃

[@kunalincredible]

Absolutely amazing video, and explained the concept so well!! Thankss!

[@TimGabe]

thanks for supporting, Kunal!!

[@srsh12345]

Thank you so much for helping me understand my own likes and dislikes. I knew what designs I liked more but could never put it into words or communicate it effectively until watching your video.

[@TimGabe]

so cool that it was that helpful for you! thanks for sharing!!

[@MasterBrain182]

Astonishing content Tim 🔥🔥🔥 🚀

[@TimGabe]

really appreciate it, my friend 😀

[@trevormanhuwa]

Literally the most enlightening design tutorial I have ever come across.

[@TimGabe]

that's incredible feedback. thank you trevor, that means a lot!!

[@monadang172]

This video is super duper useful!!! Wish I found your channel and watched this earlier. Thank you so much for sharing❤❤❤❤

[@TimGabe]

thanks for all the love, Mona! 🤩💜

[@CodingPhase]

This is one of the best tips I've seen on youtube congrats on the channel

[@TimGabe]

really appreciate those kind words, my friend! 😃

[@huben92]

Thank you very much Sir Tim

[@slifszyc]

First video I watch from you, it appeared to me in my homescreen, I really liked it. Thanks for sharing and cheers from 🇦🇷!

[@TimGabe]

always happy to see that the videos spread across the world!! 😃 salut!

[@blitberry]

great video - thank you so much !! simple and i will be applying it immediately 👍

[@TimGabe]

happy it was helpful, my friend 😃

[@lehoangphuc1707]

Your video is very supportive ❤ I have already subscribed to your channel. Keep working ^^

[@john_rodrigues]

Value packed content! Thank you for sharing

[@TimGabe]

so happy you liked it John! 😃🙏

[@theMadZakuPilot]

absolutely amazing. thank you so much please make more videos like this.

[@TimGabe]

have one upcoming!! thank you for the nice comment 😃

[@adiliqbal7222]

Hey Tim, thank you for sharing this insightful information of ui design. I am a experience UI designer since 2015 and a year and a half ago I came across this "Golden Ratio" number which is 1.618. The concept of using this number is multiplication with the font size. For example 24px is a body font size so the line height would be 24 * 1.618 and you will see the result. I personally use this strategy in all my designs now on headings, sub-headings, and body text. My question is it is a good idea to use a "Golden Ratio" concept on all the type of texts (heading, sub-headings, and body text)?

[@thebluriam]

Really glad you brought this up. I use the golden ratio between all of my designs, except I take things SUPER far. Here's the thinking. Most people only think of the golden ratio as 1:1.618, but that's only the beginning of the story. The full range set of the golden ratio is [0, 0.382, 0.618, 1, 1.382, 1.618, 2] So to get into the weeds about size choices for text heights or line heights, let's say I have some title text and some subtitle text. If my title text were 55px, I would make my subtitle text 34, because 55 x 0.618 is 34 (approximately). I do the same kind of calculation for line heights too, and for image sizing, container margin space, everything. Basically, everything in my designs are 100% golden ratio'd to itself, and I pick the most important thing in the design, whatever it might be, as the value of 1. Oftentimes, the most important thing to me is the viewport itself, viewport meaning a browser window, card stock size, screen size, whatever the containing unit is. All I do is scale everything up or down through the golden ratio, even down to line height choices. It makes absolutely everything incredibly easy to design, with no guess work, no mucking about with a/b testing, none of the difficulty, and everything always looks naturally beautiful to the human eye without ever being able to tell what I'm doing to make the process easier on myself.

[@kmisdone]

Nice to see your subscribers has multiplied by 10x. Great content. Subscribed.

[@TimGabe]

thank you so much! 😃

[@RLNDcaST]

This one was really good. Much more clearer about distances👍🏻

[@TimGabe]

happy you liked it, friend! 🙏

[@randallhernandez1644]

Muchas gracias por los tips prácticos hermano, es algo que buscaba en específico 😎👍

[@TimGabe]

de nada, hermano! 😃

[@ahsannadeem9070]

Hi Tim! Great video and as a beginner I got a lot of insight into design details from your channel. My question to you would be, is there any course online which you would recommend on UI/UX design? Also, do recruiters acknowledge any online courses when selecting candidates or having a formal education is a must for getting a well payed job?

[@TimGabe]

that's so cool to hear, Ahsan! personally, I would never look at a degree when hiring a designer. you'll know if someone is good by a) looking at their work and b) talking to them about their work 😃 so just make sure you learn the craft. put in the hours! 🥳

[@alexchiuac88]

Thank you for sharing these tips, concise, to the point, great tutorial👍👍👍

[@TimGabe]

happy you liked it, Alex!

[@Jordan-zz8qu]

Very informative and entertaining. Enjoyed the video!

[@EvilTim1911]

I'm not a designer but as a dev who does some frontend work some of this is really useful

[@Alex.Shalda]

absolutely wonderful, useful info, thanks a lot!!!

[@TimGabe]

great to hear you liked it, alex! thanks for commenting!!

[@miralsalah297]

Incredible explanation, and before and after representation between each hack, Please share more like that, Thanks a lot

[@TimGabe]

thanks a lot for the feedback, my friend!

[@antistaticagency]

Some great technical tips! Thank you

[@TimGabe]

appreciate the comment!! thank you!

[@Jab7kO]

Hooolyyyy. This is really good video mate ;) Thx a lot for your tips!

[@TimGabe]

appreciate it a lot, my friend 😃🙏

[@p.g.3806]

This was extremely helpful - thank you.

[@TimGabe]

happy to help!!

[@user-jq9cg4eb5k]

This is crystal clear, and i'm french so really your good to explain all this stuff ! thk you so much !!

[@TimGabe]

amazing to hear that the content translates well across borders!!

[@user-jq9cg4eb5k]

​@@TimGabe Yeeah 😉! all around the world !

[@aleksilin1938]

Simple yet great pricipals ! Make something ppl take it for granted into valueable fundametals. Many thanks.

[@TimGabe]

thank you for the support, aleks 😃

[@MinalB1539]

It was a much-needed video. Thank you very much.

[@TimGabe]

thanks a lot for commenting, my friend!!

[@NateBabbel]

Excellent video on typography! Such an underrated area of ux design.

[@TimGabe]

thank you for the kind comment, nate!!

[@haraseeskaur6655]

Extremely well explained! These are great tips for junior UI Designers like me. :)

[@TimGabe]

happy it resonated!!

[@1Root_]

Though the whole difference you made to the old design with the guidelines !🔥

[@TimGabe]

really happy you liked it, my friend! 🤩

[@tecsmith_info]

Being a full stack dev, I appreciate you. Thanks for the tips, subscribed!

[@TimGabe]

appreciate this kind comment, my friend! thank you!!

[@DaTruthHurtzzzz]

You have been the most helpful people in my career change thank you for teaching us all this

[@TimGabe]

that's such a powerful comment!! thanks a lot!

[@mortezaajidanpour9381]

this was great, thanks Tim 👍🏻

[@TimGabe]

appreciate the comment, my friend!!

[@gabrielfono844]

Codingphase sent me here As full stack engineer I have no issues when developing apps for my company but my personal project suck on design. My company has a designer amd it is easy for us to build functionality.

[@TimGabe]

i heard he mentioned me, that's so cool! thanks man!

[@prajwalnegi22]

very insightful, Loved this, you get my sub bro

[@TimGabe]

thanks a lot, friend!!

[@re.liable]

Nice. Trying to be a fullstack dev. I'm kinda doing some of the things you laid out here when I'm doing my markup. I didn't have concrete guidelines for them though, just feeling it haha. Will definitely try these out on my next project.

[@TimGabe]

sounds awesome, my friend! let me know how it goes!!

[@HashimWarren]

fantastic advice, thank you!

[@TimGabe]

happy to help, Hashim!

[@melocoder]

Really nice video Tim

[@Dosenwerfer]

As a software developer whos currently tasked with making a legacy desktop application high dpi compatible, hearing you talk about pixel values in a 2022 design tips video made me wanna cry.

[@noymorgenshtein9191]

your videos really send high quality vibes!

[@TimGabe]

really appreciate this, Noy 🙌☺️ thanks!!

[@TPOID]

Thank you for this informative video! What program were you using to edit the design throughout the video?

[@TimGabe]

i'm always using final cut pro 😃

[@PranayKotapi]

I like the Mike Shinoda reaction you put in between

[@samantony4423]

Really great video, thank you!

[@TimGabe]

appreciate the kind comment, thank you!!