4 ms·

Does someone want to explain the rationale behind the color picker at the side of the page which sets the text and image tint before slowly reverting it back to

by ds0 8y ago

Does someone want to explain the rationale behind the color picker at the side of the page which sets the text and image tint before slowly reverting it back to its original light gray?

gk1 8y ago
It's an homage to chromatic bar codes, commonly found on product packaging and color prints: http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/01/08/color_spots_on_packages_what_are_those_things.html http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/01/08/color_spots_o... (... I think. I don't work for Stripe.)
- analogmemory 8y ago
  Close! > Process control patches, or printer’s color blocks, are used to check the quality or density of colors that are used on the package.
- pen2l 8y ago
  It's cool, but it's not as awesome as the average Stripe site used to be. Maybe it's because Benjamin left :(
  - fermienrico 8y ago
    Everytime there is an article about Stripe, someone mentions how great their design is. Am I the only one who thinks that their design is basically same as any other Saas company, albeit just slightly more refined? They all look the same. Material bootstrapy designs. When I was an intern at a defense company, there was this old british guy that always wore a white shirt and a black tie - even in 2010. I went to lunch with him in his old Jaguar. We were discussing car designs and asked him what he thinks about Audi's new eyelash headlights - which was cool in 2010. He said "If you turn off the lights, from a distance, I can't tell if it is a Honda Accord or an Audi A4. All these sedans look the same". It made me think and appreciate Porsche 911 and other iconic designs that have veered off of the beaten path and created something original. Original, not for the sake of being different, but truly original in the full spirit of the meaning. Stripe, I am sorry, but doesn't live up to its design hype. Stripe's design is not original nor iconic.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
    - tlrobinson 8y ago
      > Am I the only one who thinks that their design is basically same as any other Saas company Stripe is almost 10 years old. If their design looks like other SaaS companies or Material or Bootstrap or whatever it's most likely because it has been imitated or at least influenced other designers.
    - tomelders 8y ago
      I couldn't disagree more. To wheel out a tired old phrase, design isn't how something looks, it's how it works. The visual aesthetics of Stripe's output demonstrates great taste. But it's the way that taste complements the functionality, and how they are uncompromising about functionality and usability. I've worked on too many UI's where a detail in the design has compromised the usability, performance, or functionality of a UI all for the sake of aesthetics. I swear I might kill the next UXer that tries to argue that "responsive is out of scope" just because they can't be arsed to figure it out or change their designs to work responsively. A lot of products and services look like Stripe now, or at least try to, but very few work as well as Stripe's output.
      - fermienrico 8y ago
        That was nice to read. Thanks for shedding the light - I tend to agree that Stripe's design is very functional. I just wish they had a more original aesthetic.
        pen2l 8y ago
        Wait, it's not original? It feels pretty original to me. What do you think it's a copy of if it's not original?
        fermienrico 8y ago
        Twitter Bootstrap. Google’s material design. Pick your favorite framework.
  - yoran 8y ago
    You mean bdc? I'm pretty certain he hasn't left.
  - dsnuh 8y ago
    Can you express what it is about Stripe's design that was better than Apple, et al.? I've always wondered at this as well, not that I ever thought it was subpar design, but I don't understand what made it special. I'm definitely not a UX/UI person though, so I am genuinely curious what I am missing.
- fermienrico 8y ago
  Homage for the sake of homage? Is there any use for it on the web? If not then what's the point of putting it up there?
  - egypturnash 8y ago
    Once upon a time, 90% of the web would have failed the “is there any use for it” test, and yet people put stuff on it. Sometimes you just wanna have something to fiddle with.
  - mkempe 8y ago
    Are we to take umbrage at every Easter-eggy homage?

by ds0 8y ago

Does someone want to explain the rationale behind the color picker at the side of the page which sets the text and image tint before slowly reverting it back to its original light gray?

gk1 8y ago

It's an homage to chromatic bar codes, commonly found on product packaging and color prints: http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/01/08/color_spots_on_packages_what_are_those_things.html http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/01/08/color_spots_o... (... I think. I don't work for Stripe.)

analogmemory 8y ago
Close! > Process control patches, or printer’s color blocks, are used to check the quality or density of colors that are used on the package.
pen2l 8y ago
It's cool, but it's not as awesome as the average Stripe site used to be. Maybe it's because Benjamin left :(
- fermienrico 8y ago
  Everytime there is an article about Stripe, someone mentions how great their design is. Am I the only one who thinks that their design is basically same as any other Saas company, albeit just slightly more refined? They all look the same. Material bootstrapy designs. When I was an intern at a defense company, there was this old british guy that always wore a white shirt and a black tie - even in 2010. I went to lunch with him in his old Jaguar. We were discussing car designs and asked him what he thinks about Audi's new eyelash headlights - which was cool in 2010. He said "If you turn off the lights, from a distance, I can't tell if it is a Honda Accord or an Audi A4. All these sedans look the same". It made me think and appreciate Porsche 911 and other iconic designs that have veered off of the beaten path and created something original. Original, not for the sake of being different, but truly original in the full spirit of the meaning. Stripe, I am sorry, but doesn't live up to its design hype. Stripe's design is not original nor iconic.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - tlrobinson 8y ago
    > Am I the only one who thinks that their design is basically same as any other Saas company Stripe is almost 10 years old. If their design looks like other SaaS companies or Material or Bootstrap or whatever it's most likely because it has been imitated or at least influenced other designers.
  - tomelders 8y ago
    I couldn't disagree more. To wheel out a tired old phrase, design isn't how something looks, it's how it works. The visual aesthetics of Stripe's output demonstrates great taste. But it's the way that taste complements the functionality, and how they are uncompromising about functionality and usability. I've worked on too many UI's where a detail in the design has compromised the usability, performance, or functionality of a UI all for the sake of aesthetics. I swear I might kill the next UXer that tries to argue that "responsive is out of scope" just because they can't be arsed to figure it out or change their designs to work responsively. A lot of products and services look like Stripe now, or at least try to, but very few work as well as Stripe's output.
    - fermienrico 8y ago
      That was nice to read. Thanks for shedding the light - I tend to agree that Stripe's design is very functional. I just wish they had a more original aesthetic.
      - pen2l 8y ago
        Wait, it's not original? It feels pretty original to me. What do you think it's a copy of if it's not original?
        fermienrico 8y ago
        Twitter Bootstrap. Google’s material design. Pick your favorite framework.
- yoran 8y ago
  You mean bdc? I'm pretty certain he hasn't left.
- dsnuh 8y ago
  Can you express what it is about Stripe's design that was better than Apple, et al.? I've always wondered at this as well, not that I ever thought it was subpar design, but I don't understand what made it special. I'm definitely not a UX/UI person though, so I am genuinely curious what I am missing.
fermienrico 8y ago
Homage for the sake of homage? Is there any use for it on the web? If not then what's the point of putting it up there?
- egypturnash 8y ago
  Once upon a time, 90% of the web would have failed the “is there any use for it” test, and yet people put stuff on it. Sometimes you just wanna have something to fiddle with.
- mkempe 8y ago
  Are we to take umbrage at every Easter-eggy homage?