25 May 2021

Is 'Refactoring UI' worth the money?

Refactoring UI is a PDF book aimed at helping developers improve their design skills. It was written by the creators of TailwindCSS - Adam Wathan and Steve Schoger. The book is quite popular among developers who want to learn how to create good-looking UIs on their own. You've probably seen it recommended online. However, it's not cheap. This article will help you decide whether it's worth your money.

What's inside

There are two versions of Refactoring UI you can buy: Essentials and The Complete Package. The Essentials version contains a PDF book and three video tutorials. The Complete Package includes the book, video tutorials, a component inspiration gallery, color palettes, a curated font showcase, and an icon library.

At the time of writing this article, the Essentials package was priced at $99, while The Complete Package cost $149.

Which version to buy?

The main value of Refactoring UI is in the PDF book. If you're only interested in the book, go for the Essentials package. If you have extra money to spare and are interested in some of the additional items from The Complete Package, it's also very well done and worth considering.

Personally, I bought The Complete Package but only used the book and videos.

Book and Videos

To get an idea of what to expect from the book, check out this article by Steve Schoger. The book is written in the same format, offering 215 pages of tips and hacks to improve your design.

The three tutorial videos included in the bundle show Steve redesigning an existing web page while providing commentary. You can find similar free videos from Steve here.

Value

It's important to understand that this book won't turn you into a designer, nor is it intended to do so. It's not a deep dive into design fundamentals, typography, or color theory. Instead, it's a cheat sheet of UI tricks that you can apply immediately to make your UIs look better.

If your goal is to pursue a career in graphic design and you expect this book to equip you with everything necessary to achieve that, you might be disappointed.

However, if you're a developer who wants to make better-informed UI decisions and be less dependent on designers in your team, this book offers the best value for money on the market. It will help you create much better-looking user interfaces, and you won't be disappointed.