This is a variation of a phenomenon that designers have observed. We approach “low-fi” prototypes— unfinished-looking sketches, manuscripts printed in draft mode, demo tapes— differently than we do things that look really clean and finished. We’re more likely to focus on the underlying concepts, to offer more substantive and useful criticism with lo-fi prototypes, than we do when presented with something that looks super-polished. I talk about it in a recent article: askpang.substack.com/p/…