I try not to judge the quality of software by the quality of it’s branding because I would prefer that others extend me the same courtesy.

I’m a good software engineer. I’m good at it in part because I have a knack for problem solving and I enjoy creating useful tools that work well.

I’m also a terrible artist. I can’t even draw a good looking stick figure. I’m amazed by people who are good artists. Some of them have an incredible amount of talent. I know that artistry, just like engineering, requires skill that is mostly built through learning and practice. But there’s something inside our brains that makes some of us naturally good at these things.

I express my creativity through problem solving. Others express theirs through visual art or in many other ways. That’s just one of the wonders of human diversity.

So, if you find a software app that seems well made and well documented, don’t judge the creator too harshly if they don’t have an eye for visual style. It may just not be their forte and for all you know they’re judging their own work far more harshly than you.