When building a pattern library, we tend to focus too much on the modules, providing a structural view of the system, rather than showing how it can be used effectively — thereby undermining its usefulness to most team members. Finding the right way to architect a lasting pattern library is difficult. This article highlights some practical […]
In this chapter, Brad Frost will tackle all that goes into selling, creating, and maintaining effective design systems. What begins as a giant slab of rock can turn into a finely polished sculpture, thanks to a ton of hard work, genuine collaboration, constant communication, and plenty of iteration. If you like what you read, we’ve
It’s ready, and it’s shipping. We’re very proud to release a brand new Smashing book: “Design Systems” by Alla Kholmatova’s — our new practical guide to creating effective design languages for digital products. The book isn’t about tooling; it’s about how to set up a shared language that would help teams produce visual output that consistently
13 live webinars. Four days. That’s the Design Systems Virtual Summit which our friends at UXPin are hosting from February 13th to 16th. Join free from anywhere, and learn from experienced practitioners how to build and maintain a design system efficiently. The four days will be jam-packed with first-hand insights provided by experts from companies
Communication failures are human problems, so they’re messy and hard to solve. Design systems are one kind of tool that people look to in order to solve problems that are fundamentally about failures in collaboration and alignment. In this article, Amy Thibodeau will include practical advice that will be useful to anyone who is thinking
, it’s a ; A heading is not a , it’s an . It was a significant step towards thinking about the different roles content web plays in order to help users find, identify and take it in. The Web Standards movement introduced the argument that semantic markup improved accessibility, which also improved its ranking
It’s important to understand how animation can be used (or not used) in your design system. In this article, Val Head explains how you can help ensure that your brand is using animation consistently and effectively while also helping your team work faster. This is all about what to include in a set of motion
Design systems have changed the way we design and build applications. They are quickly becoming a cornerstone of an organization’s digital product strategy. In this article, Nick Babich presents a tool that offers a ready-to-use design system that can be adapted to your individual needs: meet Indigo.Design. This tool attempts to solve this problem by
A successful design system needs to become part of an organization’s DNA that help your team produce more consistent user experiences, and it also builds bridges between design and development, and help you improve your design process without exposing your orgchart. In this article, Nick Babich will talk about things you can do to set
The web is wonderfully diverse and unpredictable because of wonderfully diverse people shaping it. In this new series of short interviews, we talk to interesting people doing interesting work in our industry and sharing what they’ve learned. Today, Vitaly Friedman talks to Brad Frost, author of the book Atomic Design that introduces a methodology to create and
