Oleg Kovalenko

Imagine designers transforming lives by addressing real user problems instead of getting caught in debates over flat versus skeuomorphic design😍

Cursor right after it was asked to increase the padding slightly:

Time for a new profile picture?

4o is quite good at icon generation 🤔

Do you remember design systems?

Play to Xcode looks pretty impressive!

Plot twist: Siri wasn't born at Apple

2010: Siri launches as an independent app
2011: Apple buys it for $200M
2011: iOS 5 launches with Siri built-in

Sometimes the best features are acquired, not built.

The original app was actually way more powerful 👀

New video by Microsoft is 🤌
Still no actual interfaces…

What's the last app that actually earned its spot on your home screen?

Not the popular ones.
Not the obvious ones.
That unexpected gem.

My is Unhinged

Your turn 👀

What helps:
• Delay your reactions
• Check multiple sources
• Question emotional triggers
• Remember: urgency often serves someone

Our brains won't evolve faster.
But our habits can.

This creates blind spots:
• We trust what's repeated
• We believe what's emotional
• We share what's shocking
• We remember what's scary

Perfect for survival.
Terrible for truth-seeking.

The hard truth:
Our brain's verification system was built for:
"My friend told me there's a lion nearby"

Not for:
"Anonymous source says worldwide conspiracy"
Yet we're using same tools for both.

Think about our ancestors:
• News traveled at walking speed
• Information was verifiable
• Sources were known
• Context was clear

Today:
• Instant global news
• Unknown sources
• Missing context
• Infinite scrolling

Our brains weren't built for today's information flow.

They evolved to process:
• Village-worth of news
• Tribe-level drama
• Local threats

Now we're drinking from global fire hose.
Every. Single. Day.

A thread about digital overwhelm 🧵

Hot take: The new Shrek visual looks much better than the old one.

Messenger's logo goes back to basics. Which version is your favorite?

Key principles:
• Core features must be obvious
• Advanced features must be discoverable
• Each layer should feel natural
• Navigation must be clear

It's not about hiding complexity.
It's about managing it.

Why it matters:

• Reduces cognitive load
• Builds user confidence
• Enables feature discovery
• Scales with expertise

Poor Progressive Disclosure explains why powerful apps feel overwhelming.

Good example: Apple Mail on macOS

Level 1: Write & Send
Level 2: Format & Attachments
Level 3: Signatures & Smart Mailboxes
Level 4: Server Settings & Rules

Complex system, clear hierarchy.

Think about complexity in layers:

Layer 1: Essential features
Layer 2: Common actions
Layer 3: Advanced options
Layer 4: Power user tools

Each revealed at the right moment, not all at once.

What do great interfaces have in common?

They're like good teachers:
Start with basics,
Add context when ready,
Share advanced tips at the right time.

That's Progressive Disclosure.

Let me explain 🧵

design.cash.app is my fidget spinner. I can do it all day.

Looking at Sigma's camera UI after using Sony:
It's like comparing Windows 95 to iOS.

No endless menus.
No button chaos.
Just clean design.

Why isn't this the industry standard yet?

Me detaching the component instance in Figma:

Okay, it's fun😁

It looks like DeepSeek is more open than OpenAI.

Okay, it's fun😁

It looks like DeepSeek is more open than OpenAI.

We are in the final season of Silicon Valley.

😂😂