#anyway. theres not a lot of design related creativity in web/app dev. imo

[twinklepuzzle]

As a software developer who mostly works with web apps, I may have an answer for this. And there's two main points that I want to address: 1) why are things bubbles and 2) why is *everything* bubbles.

Why are things bubbles?

This one I don't have as much of a definite answer for but my hypothesis boils down to "it looks more modern". It looks more modern because things *used* to be all squares. At first I'm sure they were squares bc squares are easier to make (the computer doesn't have to do any math or anything, it's just straight lines), but squares look older. Side note: I think this is also part of why things aren't shaded as much (think of the old windows XP start button, how it had shading to make it look like it had volume. Now it looks "old" bc it was on windows XP which is old).

So, round == modern, square == old. Bc things used to be square and we can show off by making things *not* square bc computers can make curves now when they couldn't when computers were new. It doesn't matter if it actually looks *new* new anymore, so long as it doesn't look *old*. (Bc businesspeople, stakeholders, etc care a lot about not looking outdated. Fun fact: ppl in certain manufacturing niches *hate* things that look too modern and will reject software that looks too fancy)

Why is *everything* bubbles?

Software devs want you to be able to quickly and intuitively figure out how to use their site/app/whatever. A big way to make that easier is by maintaining consistency between sites. Consistency is why you know what certain icons mean (even when they aren't super obvious); the same icon is used for the same thing in multiple places, so you just know that's what it means (and it's confusing or annoying when the icon is used for something else). It's how kids know that a floppy disk is the save icon even tho they've never seen or used a floppy disk.

You might think "okay, that makes sense for icons and things that are actually *functional* but what does that have to do with shapes?" and that's a good question!! The thing is that because things have gotten so consistent, and people hate change (remember when Tumblr moved the reblog button to the bottom of posts and everyone was mad?), I could see the assumption being made that users will immediately notice how sharp a site is and will be disoriented or annoyed or otherwise put off because it's different. So nobody wants to break the trend bc what if it makes people reject your app as a whole? Then you've put in all that effort for nothing, and your target audience will not be reached.

So everyone wants to look similar in form to everyone else bc consistency is good. To differenciate their app, they focus on color palettes or a unique feature or fitting a specific niche, rather than interesting shapes or layouts.

Also. Just realized this could be relevant, but there's a tool/library/package that you can use on your website for free; it's called Material and it's made by google. It's easy to use, and it has built-in animations and things that seem really fancy and are normally difficult or annoying or time-consuming to set up from scratch. So it gets used a lot! And Material, afaik, makes things rounded (if not bubbles) my default (you can apply your own styling to it but I don't think most ppl bother beyond size and color).

In conclusion

It's because it looks modern, is convenient, and makes it easier to get used to an app/makes the average user less likely to reject the app on the basis of it being different. I'm not saying that those things are the views of the general public, or that they're particularly accurate, but they're based on what I've seen and heard a lot in my work and schooling (and from what other more experienced devs have said they've heard).

It isn't *necessarily* a good or a bad thing; part of it is almost certainly driven by capitalism, some of it is probably out of desperation or feeling like they *have* to in order to be/stay relevant, and some of it is just thinking it looks clean/cool/modern. I don't have any real suggestions for how to change it since it *is* so pervasive, but if you really don't like the bubbly look, be vocal about it and support things that use a sharper look!

The purpose of this was basically to infodump and maybe bring up some interesting points, give an insider perspective, whatever. I personally like a rounded look and a square look, they're both good for their own reasons.

oh the notes bubble is disgusting. get that out of my sight