Clarity 2023
Dive into the world of design systems at Clarity 2023 in San Francisco from November 1st–2nd! This conference is all about collaboration, blending inclusion, empathy, technology, and creativity to shape how we work together with Design Systems. With live talks, engaging workshops, and a lineup of renowned speakers, it's an event not to be missed.
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📝 Articles
Design Systems: Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Design systems provide efficiency through component reuse, but pitfalls like reduced creativity and rigid rules can arise. Hannah discusses countering these issues by promoting exploration, shifting to principle-based guidelines, starting with atomic styles, and ensuring regular updates in her article "Design Systems: Avoiding Common Pitfalls."
Why your Design System needs a component process
Ness emphasises the importance of a structured component process for Design Systems, drawing from personal experiences where the lack of such a process led to inefficiencies and challenges. They provide a step-by-step guide, covering research, design, build, and release phases, to ensure a comprehensive, accessible, and well-maintained design system that garners buy-in and adoption from stakeholders.
Documentation Is a Living Thing: How We Talk Informs What We Make
Luke emphasises the importance of democratizing access to design, ensuring everyone in an organization can contribute and be heard. He advocates for comprehensive, evolving documentation in design systems, likening it to a living entity, and underscores the need for clear communication, collaboration, and a shared language to foster innovation and inclusivity.
Introducing Figma Variables Translator | by Valentin Chrétien | Specify | Prototypr
Valentin introduces Specifty's Variables Translator plugin for Figma, designed to automate the translation of String variables in Figma's new Variables feature. The plugin simplifies content management in multiple languages by automatically adding translations, saving users time and reducing the margin for errors.
👀 Interesting Reads
How I name and arrange my color variables in Figma
Godwin discusses their approach to naming and organising colour variables in Figma, emphasising the importance of a structured system for easier management. He breaks down variables into five sections: Class, Type, Element, Value, and State, providing a framework that not only clarifies the role of each color but also makes it easier to find and add variables.
The benefits of creating a product surfaces collection
Layla shares the advantages of building a centralised collection of product surfaces in Figma at Pinterest, enabling better collaboration, streamlined design processes, and improved decision-making. By organising the collection and maintaining it collaboratively, designers, engineers, and marketers can easily access up-to-date mock-ups and find the assets they need.
🖤 Design Systems
Cedar Design System
REI's Cedar Design System unveils a revamped documentation website featuring enhanced navigation, live component demos, improved design tokens directory, revised content, and improved information architecture.