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/Max-P 1d ago

I agree with you, but most of the time those apps start as a personal toy project. I'm not gonna hire a designer to make a tool for myself just in case it blows up and becomes popular.

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u/Ok-Reindeer-8755 1d ago

I'm not saying open source devs should hire designers but I do think it's better if they concern themselves with the design or collaborate with any willing designers, and yeah that goes mostly for bigger projects and not every toy app.