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Design Principles VS CSS Scan

Compare Design Principles VS CSS Scan and see what are their differences

Design Principles logo Design Principles

An open source repository of design principles and methods

CSS Scan logo CSS Scan

Instantly check or copy computed CSS from any element for only ~95$
  • Design Principles Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-17
  • CSS Scan Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-14

Design Principles features and specs

  • Comprehensive Resource
    The website offers a wide collection of design principles from various companies and independent designers, providing a rich resource for learning and inspiration.
  • Diverse Perspectives
    The compilation includes principles from various industries and design philosophies, offering a well-rounded view of design thinking.
  • Easy to Navigate
    The site is well-organized and categorized, making it simple to find relevant design principles quickly.
  • Free Access
    The resource is available for free, making it accessible to anyone interested in design principles without any financial barrier.
  • Regularly Updated
    The collection is periodically updated with new content, ensuring users have access to the latest design thinking.

Possible disadvantages of Design Principles

  • Overwhelming Amount of Information
    The extensive collection of principles might be overwhelming for beginners who are just starting to learn about design.
  • Quality Variation
    Because the principles are sourced from various contributors, there is a variation in the quality and depth of the principles listed.
  • Lacks Interactivity
    The site mainly provides static information and lacks interactive elements that could enhance the learning experience.
  • No Community Features
    There are no built-in community features for users to discuss or collaborate on design principles, which could limit the exchange of ideas.
  • Sparse Context
    Some principles are presented without much context or explanation, which may make it difficult to understand their practical application.

CSS Scan features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    CSS Scan offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easy for developers of all skill levels to inspect and copy CSS styles directly from the browser.
  • Time-Saving
    It significantly reduces the time needed to debug and replicate styles by allowing quick copying of well-structured CSS rules from any element on the page.
  • Accuracy
    The tool ensures that the copied CSS maintains the exact styling, including computed styles and vendor prefixes, providing high accuracy in replication.
  • Live Edits
    CSS Scan enables live editing of styles, allowing developers to make real-time changes and see the results instantly, which is beneficial for testing and adjustments.
  • Visual Representation
    The extension visually displays how CSS rules are applied, making it easier to understand complex styling hierarchies and cascades.

Possible disadvantages of CSS Scan

  • Cost
    CSS Scan is a paid tool, so there is a financial investment required, which might not be feasible for all developers, especially those working on personal or non-commercial projects.
  • Browser Compatibility
    As a browser extension, its functionality may be limited to supported browsers, potentially excluding users of less common or unsupported browsers.
  • Limited Scope
    While CSS Scan is powerful for copying and analyzing CSS, it does not offer features for editing or managing CSS files directly, requiring another tool or manual intervention for those tasks.
  • Dependency
    Relying on a third-party tool can be a downside if the tool experiences downtime, changes its pricing, or ceases development, leaving users in a difficult position.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Using browser extensions can raise privacy concerns, as they typically have access to the pages you visit; ensuring the trustworthiness of the extension is crucial.

Analysis of Design Principles

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Design Principles (principles.design) is a valuable and insightful resource for designers looking to enhance their understanding and application of design principles.

Why this product is good

  • Design Principles (principles.design) is a highly regarded resource that provides a comprehensive collection of well-crafted design principles from various successful companies and products. It offers insights into how these principles guide design decisions, resulting in user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing interfaces. The platform also allows designers to learn from industry leaders, adapting and applying proven frameworks to their own projects, thus improving the overall quality and effectiveness of their design work.

Recommended for

  • UI/UX designers
  • Product designers
  • Design students
  • Creative directors
  • Design educators
  • Anyone interested in understanding how effective design principles can enhance user experiences

Analysis of CSS Scan

Overall verdict

  • CSS Scan is considered a valuable tool for web developers, particularly for those who frequently work with CSS. Its user-friendly interface and time-saving features make it highly effective for both learning and practical development needs.

Why this product is good

  • CSS Scan is popular among developers because it provides a fast and easy way to inspect and copy CSS styles from any website. It enhances productivity by simplifying the process of understanding and replicating complex styles without manually digging through source code.

Recommended for

  • Front-end developers seeking to understand and replicate existing styles.
  • Web designers aiming to improve their CSS skills through real-world examples.
  • Developers needing to quickly prototype or analyze website designs.
  • Teams looking for an efficient tool to streamline CSS workflows.

Design Principles videos

GOTO 2016 โ€ข Secure by Design โ€“ the Architect's Guide to Security Design Principles โ€ข Eoin Woods

CSS Scan videos

Chrome CSS Viewer CSS Scan 2.0 - All Your CSS Secrets Revealed

More videos:

  • Review - CSS Scan and Microthemer are buddies

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Design Principles and CSS Scan)
Design Tools
45 45%
55% 55
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Productivity
46 46%
54% 54
Prototyping
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

CSS Scan might be a bit more popular than Design Principles. We know about 13 links to it since March 2021 and only 9 links to Design Principles. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Design Principles mentions (9)

  • Meaningful distinction between heuristics and principles?
    Your comment is an interesting one, and I can see how itโ€™s be helpful for some folks who are just setting out in their careers. I was asking not about style guides, but the nuanced differences between heuristics, such as NNgโ€™s, and design principles for decision-making: https://principles.design/. Source: about 3 years ago
  • I Found 15 Free Resources For Entrepreneurs To Help Them with Social Media, SEO and Growth!
    Principle Design is a Free Resource to learn more about designing better user interfaces and logos for your business. Access 195+ Examples and 1445 principles to learn more about design. (no-signup). Source: about 3 years ago
  • The importance of having a design system
    Http://styleguides.io/ and https://principles.design/ are worth keeping an eye on, especially for trends that come up and to see what the industry is up to. Source: about 3 years ago
  • The importance of having a design system
    Https://principles.design/ (collection, guiding ethos). Source: about 3 years ago
  • Ask HN: How do you design good primitives?
    Https://paperform.co/blog/principles-of-design/ https://principles.design/ https://99designs.com/blog/tips/principles-of-design/. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
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CSS Scan mentions (13)

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Design Principles and CSS Scan, you can also consider the following products

Atlassian Design - Design, develop, and deliver

CSS Scan Pro - The easiest way to get and edit the CSS of any website, live

Product Disrupt - A design student's list of resources to learn Product Design

Hoverify - All-in-one browser extension to improve your web dev experience.

Checklist Design - The best UI and UX practices for production ready design.

CSS Peeper - Smart CSS viewer tailored for Designers.