Great Software Teaches Great Taste

The value we bring as frontend engineers may be changing. In an era where AI agents can write software much faster than we can, the quality that may ultimately distinguish us isn't our technical skill, but our creative taste.

By creative taste, I mean the small details. The eye candy. The micro-interactions that make you smile when using an application and keep you coming back. It's difficult to define these elements, but you recognize them when you see them. You feel their impact when you use the software and pause -- not to admire the code -- but to admire the care.

Think about the way Notion handles drag-and-drop, or how Linear animates task transitions. These aren't just niceties; they communicate care. And when we experience software that communicates care, it sharpens our own sense of what "good" feels like.

That's why I've become more intentional about the software I use. It's not that other tools can't accomplish the same tasks; rather, I want to train myself to recognize what great taste in software looks like. What it feels like. Just like a designer develops an eye for balance and composition, engineers can develop an eye for great software.

I've realized that my habits shape my sense of quality. If I spend all day in clunky tools, I start normalizing their friction. But when I spend time with software that delights me, I subconsciously raise my own standards.

The next time you open an app, slow down. Notice the small details. Ask yourself why it feels good -- or maybe why it doesn't. Great software teaches great taste.