We’ve completed the first year as employees and contractors paid to hack on FreeCAD and build services around it. We do have a few things to brag about. We also had some setbacks and challenges. Since we started Ondsel with a goal to be as honest and transparent as possible, let’s talk about things the team learned this year while figuring things out.
Free and Open-Source Software has a reputation for poor usability and user experience (UX). FreeCAD is no exception. Some of the most common complaints raised by users are about the steep learning curve, inconsistent workflow, and ugly, confusing user-interface (UI). There are dozens of threads on the forum going back years where someone has come forward with a vision to ‘fix’ the usability problem. These efforts always devolve into bike-shedding, and nitpicking. Nothing changes.