Ahoy hoy!
Well, this is a little different.
I've decided to add summaries to links after around 80s issues with none. As this issue has been published nearly 3 weeks since the last issue, it's allowing me to slow down a little and really only included the 'curated links' that I think are helpful.
I hope you enjoy this slightly improved newsletter, although I must warn you that the next issues welcome note will have me talking about things I've been doing.
Enjoy!
📝 Articles
📝 Using Jira for Design Systems
A fab post from Nathan on setting up Jira for your Design System and some great tips on making it work really well. I like the various filters they discuss for Jira's quick filters and making issue templates.
📝Design your next app with the Atlassian Vendor Sketch Plugin
I love a good tool. Ever moreso when it's one that saves time (I mean, that should be a fundamental reason for a tool, right?). I also like tools that are built for 'where the users are' rather than having them use something completely different. This Sketch plugin that Atlassian built for the designers looks great.
📝 Test-Oriented UI Development with BackstopJS
I'm a big fan of Lara's writing. In this post they talk us through the visual regression tool BackstopJS and share screencasts of them implementing it, "warts an' all".
🛠 Tutorials
📐 Design Systems for Developers (using Storybook)
Storybook is something I've wanted to take a deeper look at for a long time, and with this online book it goes really in-depth into help setting up the software for your Design System.
🧰 Tools / Resources
🛠 Design System Playground
This is a cool little tool to help you quickly visualise your design tokens if you're using Theme UI. I like the random button a little too much 😁
🔗 Links
🖤 Copperleaf Design System
I really like the in-depth ways the 'Grammar and mechanics' page goes into the language to use and not use, and the reasoning in the writing style. Also the 'Best Practices' and inline 'Content guidelines' expressed in the components.
🖤 Westpac GEL
There is so much to like about this site. Digging into the GUIs we get to see the history of the components because there's a neat little version dropdown. "The Blender" is also a neat tool to help generate the HTML, CSS and JavaScript for just the components you need.
🖤 SpruceLabs Heartwood Tokens
I like how the first page is all about installing the tokens. Once you get click through the side navigation with the different platform dropdown to show you the platform specific token names is quite neat. As is the PX/REM button for quick review of what 1.125rem means.
🖤 Cisco Momentum Design
I love the in-depth guidelines pages for some of the design patterns and pages here. Also the way you can choose the language the component code is displayed in is a nice touch.
Thanks
I hope you've enjoyed this issues set of links, and the slightly modified format.
If you've really enjoyed the links, and the newsletter dropping into your inbox at anytime it feels like it then you could always sponsor my Patreon page to help me find the time to continue reading, watching and listening to everything I can on Design Systems, so you don't have to.