Design Masterclass with the best designer I’ve ever met (Raphael Schaad with Cron Calendar)

This episode explores the design process of creating exceptional user experiences, specifically focusing on the development of a calendar application called Cron. Against the backdrop of existing calendar applications like Google Calendar, which often fall short in user experience, the conversation highlights the meticulous approach of designer Raphael Schaad. More significantly, the discussion traces Schaad's design process from initial sketches on paper to coding prototypes and finally, the finished product. For instance, the episode details how Schaad uses sketching as a low-commitment method for exploration and communication, iteratively refining designs through multiple sketches before moving to digital prototyping. As the discussion pivoted to the coding phase, Schaad emphasized the importance of prototyping directly in code to explore integrated details and achieve the desired user experience. In contrast to standard calendar interfaces, Cron's design incorporates subtle yet impactful details, such as adaptive precision in event placement and a refined time zone selector that allows for intuitive location input. What this means for the future of calendar application design is a focus on user-centric design, incorporating detailed attention to even the smallest visual and interactive elements to create a seamless and intuitive user experience.