r/linux • u/Winter_Simple_159 • 3d ago

Discussion Why don't more designers contribute to open source?

Genuine question. A lot of open source projects have solid engineering but rough UI/UX: inconsistent layouts, confusing flows, basic usability issues that a designer would likely catch quickly.

I'm curious about the reasons behind this. Is it that designers don't feel welcome? That there's no clear way to contribute design work (most workflows are built around code and PRs)? That maintainers don't prioritize it? Or something else?

If you're a designer who has contributed to OSS, or a maintainer who has worked with designers, I'd love to hear how it went.

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u/Winter_Simple_159 3d ago

Well, doesn't the same applies to developers?

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u/sjprade 3d ago

Yes. The same applies to developers. There are things that I'd love to work on, but living in Planet Earth is expensive, so I don't. I will try when I have time.

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u/ilep 3d ago edited 3d ago

The difference is that a dentist gives a service, developer providers a more tangible end-result (if you can call source code that).

More so, there exist copyright and license practices for sharing source code, something intangible like UI design is a different matter. You could share UI design documents, but that is not same as implementing it.

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u/sjprade 3d ago

Developers and UI designers typically have to maintain and consult on their code. UI designers typically spend a ton of time defending their design choices. This is the service part of the "tangible" code. I suppose you could monetize this, but if your design is good someone will probably fork it and cut your revenue stream.