Things I learned from making a design system

Things I learned from making a design system

by | Atomic design, Design Systems, Shared wisdom

Susan Mason illustration
  • Atomic design systems are a lot of work but the payback is exponential as the design system grows

  • Designing for scalability is challenging. Without having a crystal ball, you can only see so far.

  • Accept that even if you test all the edge case scenarios, someone will come up with a new one that you didn’t plan for after the component goes live.

 

  • It’s important that the team agrees on the naming of things so we speak the same language

  • File hygiene is important. Tidiness and the naming conventions for symbols / layers / artboards / files / projects is important to the process even though it is tedious. The switch from Sketch to Figma has given my hours back just for the auto labeling of layers to match auto layouts.

  • Bad design requirements often become bad user experience.  As much as I love a UX challenge, eliminate unreasonable scope in the creative brief.  (I am thinking of the stakeholder who in complete seriousness responded “infinity” when asked “how much copy should I plan for?” in regards to a hero banner caption)

  • Make sure the intended purpose of each component is clear. Otherwise you will end up with design bloat and too many similar components.

  • Make sure that artboards have enough width outside of the embedded breakpoint  to communicate which components stay within the page well, which extend past, and which go full-browser width.

  • Bake accessibility into the product

  • Edge case and usage testing should start in wireframes

  • Create consistency wherever possible. Everything will go more smoothly.

  • Product design is an iterative process, best to work agile

Subway ad with motion detection

Subway ad with motion detection

by | User Experience

Stockholm based agency Akestam Holst perfectly executes a clever advertising concept to introduce a new line of hair products. The digital ad placed on a subway platform is equipped with a sensor to monitor a train’s arrival. As the train comes into the station, a short film clip plays showing the model’s hair seemingly blowing from the rush of the train coming into the platform. It’s brilliant!

What the font?

What the font?

by | Design Tools

Need to identify a font or match a logotype? Tired of searching through type specimen directories online trying to match your font? Type foundry My Fonts has a handy application on their website to solve this problem. Just upload an image of the type you are trying to identify to What The Font to get some options. http://new.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/.

The last stop

The last stop

by | Gifts for Graphic Designers

The quirky charm of the open road comes through in this coffee table book designed by Pentagram.  The oversized book features photos by Ryan Ford of rest areas and roadside attractions across America. The image of the faux teepees on the cover of the book was taken in Lajitas, Texas.

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