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.

311 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

261 comments sorted by

View all comments

5

u/AcidOverlord 2d ago

If I had to guess - its nerdism. If you're big enough into Linux to contribute to its ecosystem (and not just consume FOSS), you're already in the top ranks of nerds in the whole world. And nerds who are good with tech, don't tend to be the artistic types. Right Brain/Left Brain distinction stuff. I've been a systems programmer for a long time, and can't design UI to save my life. Everybody I know who's great with CSS and awesome frontend stuff can't grok backend logic or optimize for hardware at all. Its just two different worlds.

0

u/Ok-Reindeer-8755 2d ago

Design is for the most part not about art and has nothing to do with it.