The hardest part about this journey has been finding the time to commit. I’m so passionate about it and I know people need help, yet there are days I can’t muster the energy. Especially like tonight, I have to watch Dr. Robby and see if he is going to (REDACTED for spoilers).

But my life is great. Anything I complain about would be a first world problem. There is time, I just have to make more use of it. Can my 4-5 hours of screen time go down to 2-3? While I’m watching NBA playoffs, can the first half be dedicated to this work? I have to do better about scheduling out my week for Benchd - ironic coming from someone who literally does that for a living, I know (maybe thats why its hard?).

All this being said, I made some awesome progress. I did a ton of design research and I talked to one of my buddies who is a world-class UI designer that has built for startups, big tech, side project, you name it. He’s a monster. And he’s going to help me bring Benchd to life! Surrounding myself with people who want to do good is the whole point of this.

I started my design journey and waded thru the depths of slop and came out the other side. Talk next week!

Everything is starting to look the same. Claude-pilled. AI slop is becoming our baseline for apps. You know it immediately when you see it:

It’s not all bad. AI is using those elements for a reason - they work. I’m guilty of building hundreds of things with this design - including the first iteration of Benchd. However, my goal for v2 is to provide a sense of calm for the user. Invoke safety and serenity. The opposite of how sports gambling apps are designed.

It’s no secret all the gambling apps have a very particular design to keep you playing and spending money. Just like the real-life casinos they emulate. I call it Casino UX.

Everything thing they do is meant to keep you on longer and paying more. The same reason you get free drinks at the slot machines before realizing - why are there no clocks in the casino?

Now you have an idea of what we’re NOT going for, welcome to my mood board of actual options. We’re going to combine a ton of different UI elements to create that “calming” presence when on the app. Maybe the most important and most human of all: Illustration.

In my review process - illustration stood out as the item that felt most grounded and ~ real ~

I’m going to work with my buddy to bring this personality to Benchd