Bob Baxley

How do design system teams prove their value? Finding hard metrics around the impact of design system teams has historically been a challenge. A year ago, I met the design system team at Eventbrite who could confidently say that they saved 534 days of engineering effort with their design system. Here's their calculation: Time spent to develop a component pre-design system - time spent to install the design system component = Time saved In order to extrapolate this number, though, you need to know how many times a component has been used. And, that used to require a savvy dev on the team to build something custom. That's no longer the case. We built something at zeroheight that will allow you to track component use in a single repo or across all of your repos. This should help teams show how valuable they are, plus do things like: see which components to prioritize based on use see which product teams are adopting As an added bonus, anyone using the new feature set can also monitor design system packages, allowing them to quickly see which teams are using outdated packages. On a personal note, I'm hoping with data like this, more teams can confidently quantify their impact. And along the way, we'll get better as design system practitioners at identifying the right things to work on. This new feature set is in beta and totally free. Even if you aren't using zeroheight to document your design system, you can use it. Takes like 15 minutes and you've got rich data. Here's the sign up:

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Now that Config is over here's a good recap for design execs:

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This visual illustration by the Nielsen Norman Group highlights how having just a style guide is a good start but is by no means the complete story. Building a complete design system takes time, a lot of collaboration and patience between teams. Working together is an important component to success. You or your design team cannot do this alone. So understand, who in your business you need to collaborate with, who is needed as your supporter - ideally one or more higher up and peer - in your business. Finally, if you are privileged to lead and serve a team or department of people, understand the strengths and weaknesses of your team, put them to use in the correct areas of Design System development, ensure you don't lock in or build solid walls around your Design System, keep it organic, which will ensure it's cross business benefit. #strategy #designsystems #ux #designthinking #criticalthinking #collaboration #victorinox Victorinox

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Over my 20 years in the industry, one key insight has stood out: product design is not just an aesthetics —it's a critical method for validating ideas quickly and effectively. At every company, I champion the notion that #ValidationStartsWithDesign. This philosophy is built on the understanding that rapid iteration and feedback are essential for successful product development. Here’s how I approach it: 🖌️ 1 Hour Mockups: Quickly translating concepts into visual formats allows teams to see and feel the idea early on. 🔧 2 Hour Prototypes: Developing interactive prototypes helps to explore functionality and user experience, providing a tangible basis for feedback. 📞 15 Min Stakeholder Call: Engaging with stakeholders and customers early and often ensures that the product is on the right track, based on real user needs and reactions. By integrating design deeply into the validation process, we empower teams to iterate swiftly and align closely with their users’ needs. This method not only accelerates the development cycle but also reduces the risks associated with building untested products. I’ve seen firsthand how this approach can transform ideas into successful products, saving time and resources while maximizing impact. Remember, the faster we validate, the faster we succeed. #DesignThinking #ProductDevelopment #Innovation #UXDesign #Prototyping #CustomerFeedback

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The second part of my article on the value of explicit design rules is here. In it I dive head first into example in layout, position, ordering padding and margins with examples from various design tools. In the end of this part there's also a treasure trove of links to other insightful people writing on adjacent subjects. Hope you find it interesting and be swayed to try tools that allow for more expressive explicit design rules. https://lnkd.in/dmGpUHU6

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Someone has to say it! Tobias saying it makes it even more legit. Meet and work with a lot of young folks who are looking for mentors at workplace thinking they would be hand held at every step. While guides are there, one needs to walk the path and grind towards a path set by the mentor. Things don’t happen on their own. Blaming is another aspect of design folks where stakeholders are held responsible for what’s happening around them without introspecting why is it happening and what one can do to change that behaviour around by using design frameworks and improving the craft on a daily basis. So much of entitlement will never get us anywhere. #designlife

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Hey friends, I find it challenging to ask directly for support, but I need your opinions on what it means to center the most impacted in design 💬 To "Centre the Most Impacted" is the second principle I'm writing about, following "To be a Designer is to be a Facilitator." I'm passionate about capturing diverse voices on this topic, but I'm struggling to gather people's thoughts 😖 Feedback is at the core of designing for collective spaces - your thoughts, opinions, and ideas are incredibly valuable! The article on what it means to "Center the Most Impacted" is slated for release next Monday. So before then, I would love if you could: 🙋‍♂️ Share your thoughts in the comments, 🔄 Reshare this post, 🗣 And/or use the Miro board linked below to provide feedback! I want to emphasize that every voice matters in this process, and I really cannot write these articles without you - so anything helps! Even suggestions on making it easier to interact 😊 Thank you so much for your support!

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Designers - are you being asked to provide measurable proof of how your work impacts business outcomes with metrics? Are you unsure of what to measure, when and how? Being able to assess the impact of your design decisions can not only have a positive effect on your product and end users, but is also a skill increasingly in demand for design roles. Recently, I wrote an article on this very topic, "How design teams can use product data to add value to the business" (https://lnkd.in/gYreMBm9 ). Today I'm excited to announce the release of part 2 on this topic, "6 ways Pendo's design team uses Pendo to add more value to the platform - and the business" (https://lnkd.in/gTgj2dmJ). Check it out! #DesignMetrics #BusinessOutcomes #ProductData #DesignTeams #Pendo

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As a design leader, I've always been driven by a company's vision and mission. It's deeply meaningful to me, and I've found joy in igniting that same passion in others by sharing our North Star. Over the years, I've come to realise that nothing is more fundamental than the essence of a brand itself. Inspiring others stems from a shared understanding of who we are and why we do what we do throughout the entire organisation. But how do we achieve this alignment? Sometimes, big changes don't require massive efforts. Investing just three hours in the right discussion with the right people can lead to transformative outcomes. The Brand Sprint: a concise three-hour brainstorming session aimed at making tangible what "our brand" truly represents. Surprisingly, there's a lack of accessible templates for this process. So, I created one myself. In my latest video, I walk you through it and share some valuable insights. Feel free to utilise it and share your feedback.

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Wow, spot on… Also consider the complexity of a “design system factory” product intended to offer design system stability to the diverse clientele of a consultancy with vastly unique clients, all with critically important needs. I often describe(d) the design tokens and design system as the CENTER of the tech ecosystem, or at minimum on par with the most critical data APIs. Few were ready for what that would cost. Financially, technically and emotionally. #outofwork

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Over the years I've tried many approaches to design critiques with the teams I've managed. Without fail these 4 simple principles impact the effectiveness of design critiques greater than anything else when established as ground rules. For presenters: ✦ Describe the problem you're solving ✦ State the target audience* ✦ Specify the feedback you're seeking All of the above can be done in less than a minute, either verbally or in written format. For participants: ✦ Ask questions before comments "I think you should go with blue instead of red" is less effective than first asking "Why did you choose red for this?" The additional context that comes from asking questions will lead to more effective feedback. Design critiques are the easiest and most important thing design teams can do to improve design quality. Alone they are not a silver bullet. But they are the foundation for all other improvements to design quality. If you're not holding regular design critiques (usually weekly), this is step 1 for improving design quality. If you're already holding regular design critiques but not doing the 4 principles above well, this is step 1 for improving your design critiques. Better critiques. Better quality. * "Everyone" is rarely acceptable as the target audience. Even if the feature being presented is intended for everyone, 99% of the time there's a specific segment or archetype you're aiming for. #design #critiques #quality

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It’s Thursday! Let’s talk about DESIGN DISCOVERY and how to make it PRACTICAL. Discovery is an essential part of the design process. In discovery, designers build a shared understanding of the problem and the design direction, establishing a foundation for all future design decisions. What does that foundation look like? In PRACTICAL DESIGN DISCOVERY, I describe three kinds of things to put into this foundation: → Principles: Enablers that help you make decisions → Concepts: Ideas that establish a big picture or north star → Models: Representations of the user experience When you draw a conclusion from user research, that’s a principle. When you say “our product is like a concierge for kids activities,” that’s a concept. And when you sketch out a flow chart or wireframe an important screen, that’s a model. Each of these contributes to the foundation that informs further design decisions. You’re not just creating these for yourself. The other people on your team – product managers and business stakeholders and developers – need to contribute to this foundation. These things – principles, concepts, and models – are the way you draw others into the discovery process. Sometimes managers tell designers to cut principles and concepts out of their process. I get it: Models are accessible because they are tangible representations of the final product. Even a flow chart is easier to react to than an unmoored design principle or a big idea. In discovery, however, you can’t model every aspect of a product. The point of discovery is to set the direction. Models provide enough of a view into the final product to get buy-in on that direction. But they’re not the whole picture. Principles provide guidelines for making decisions that the models do not cover. They establish constraints on the design process. Concepts align everyone around the product’s purpose or essence. They paint a picture of what the world looks like with the product in it. Both are helpful for decision-making. You don’t need to break the bank creating principles or concepts, or even models. Use a text file to capture statements as they jump out during the design process, like “never show a data visualization without context or explanation [a principle]” or “this is a mash-up between a to-do list and a calendar [a concept]”. Use models to illustrate principles and concepts. When folks provide feedback on the models, ask them about the concepts and the principles. “You said you were worried about the fields on this screen, but it aligns with our principle of ‘only ask for information when needed.’ Are there circumstances when the principle doesn’t apply?” Every part of the foundation – principles, concepts, and models – is a hook for a conversation with the entire team about the direction of your product. Looking for more ways to refine your discovery practice? Grab a copy of PRACTICAL DESIGN DISCOVERY! https://lnkd.in/dtar-e2

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Today on Design Better, we speak with Carissa Carter and Scott Doorley about their new book, Assembling Tomorrow, one of the The Stanford d.school's newest publications. Aarron Walter and I learn why they wrote the book, and how we might rethink our design processes in light of the rapid changes brought on by AI. We also discuss how we can shift our thinking from short-term gains to look at our moment in time from a broader perspective. Find the episode here (or wherever you get your pods) 🎧 https://lnkd.in/gxSnKrDG

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The simple shift from weakness-based product strategy to strengths-based can be a game changer for the trajectory of your product.

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The Jobs to Be Done framework is crucial for product designers, especially as the line between product managers and designers continues to blur. This article can revolutionize how we approach problem discovery and opportunity identification, offering deeper insights during the design phase. It's a must-read for anyone looking to elevate their design process and deliver exceptional results.

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I remember one of these specific PJisms, and design principle of PJ Onori's when we worked together, spending less time on design artifacts. Fast forward to when we started the podcast, I've always wanted to record an episode about our ISMS, and what were some design principles that have followed us along. We'll be dropping some more of these backlog episodes that we recorded over the winter, but have been sitting as b-sides over the next few months! Listen here 🎧 https://lnkd.in/gdZ7qZmm #designsystems #designsystem #podcast #productdesign #designops

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