📝 Articles
Design tokens: authoring vs consuming
Nate examines the challenges of design token workflows, arguing for a shift in how tokens are authored versus consumed. He proposes a taxonomy-driven, flat, UID-based authoring model to increase flexibility, enforce standards, and better support evolving systems while maintaining compatibility with existing consumption formats like the W3C design token spec.
Documentation driven design
Dave discusses the concept of Documentation Driven Design, suggesting that writing documentation before design work begins can help define scope, reveal new use cases, and align team efforts. By documenting early, teams can ensure that design and development follow clear guidance, potentially reducing misalignment and improving communication around design decisions.
Prioritising Design Systems
Alexander explores how to manage and prioritise design system requests effectively, offering a structured process for teams facing growing demands. In this article, he details the Agoda Design System’s journey, emphasising transparency and strategic prioritisation through a tailored framework, regular communication, and on-call support to improve coordination and stakeholder trust.
Design systems: simplifying documentation writing
Dean explores how to tackle the daunting task of writing documentation for a design system by breaking it into manageable steps. In this article, they recommend focusing on a repeatable framework, prioritising essential components, and embracing imperfection to build practical, accessible documentation for designers and developers alike.
👀 Interesting Reads
How I Organize Variables in Figma
Joey delves into organising variables in Figma, sharing practical techniques and decision-making frameworks that have streamlined his workflow. He explores variable types, collections, and groups, offering insights into creating both primitive and semantic collections for efficient design system management.
A mode too far. Problems using Figma variable modes for multiple brands
Dave reflects on the challenges of using Figma’s variable modes for multi-brand libraries, highlighting practical limitations that hinder quality assurance and controlled releases. While modes offer promise for single-brand libraries, he argues that the tooling falls short for complex multi-brand setups, making it difficult to maintain stability and privacy during development.
8 Examples of Versioning in Leading Design Systems
In this article, Supernova explores how companies like IBM, Google, and Twilio implement versioning to keep their design systems consistent and up-to-date. Through major, incremental, and component-level versioning, they maintain flexibility and ensure smooth updates across complex design ecosystems.