Howdy folks! Below are four key design tactics I learned from interviewing Ezaz Ansari at Swiggy about his design process. Lemme know what’s your biggest takeaway?
1. Designing a new app in one week
Ezaz designed Swiggy's entire Snack app in a single week. Not just the concept but the whole thing - UI, animations, illustrations, error states, and branding.
The reason it was even possible is because he wasn't starting from scratch. Ezaz reused components from Swiggy's existing design system and tweaked them. Also engineers and designers were in the same room the whole time. So every screen got checked for feasibility on the spot. Also the cofounder Harsha reviewed the Figma files and prototypes himself which cut out the middle management delay!
2. Designing for Gen Z
Ezaz wanted Snacc to feel like something Gen Z was already in on and not a food app trying to look young. So he designed it around the things they actually share which is memes and most memes involve cats.
So he designed a whole brand around a ginger cat and also created delightful error states! My favorite error state is the one where the cat is cutting a cucumber when all the vegetarian food items are sold out!
3. Design hackathons to make AI images look real
Some dishes are just hard for AI to get right especially Indian food. The crispy rolled dosa was so tricky that the Swiggy design team turned it into an internal design hackathon to see who can nail it.
And the fix always comes down to the tiny design details like prompting for a single coriander leaf on top or ghee dripping down the side because that’s what makes AI food look real and appetizing!
4. AI won't replace designers
Ezaz strongly believes that AI will never be able to replace the thinking and the craft behind a designer’s work. He has an amazing analogy - he's the director of the movie and the tools are just the camera. The camera keeps getting better but you still need someone who knows how to direct.
His advice to worried designers is simple. Treat AI as just another tool and play with it in your free time so you're never behind. But keep your focus on the fundamentals of design. Jumping to the tool without the craft won't take you anywhere.
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