Contribution models allow product teams to add new features to existing designs based on their product requirements without breaking the quality of existing designs.
This article reviews 3 popular contribution models:
1. Nord and its hybrid model
Nordhealth is a medical company that aims to redefine digital healthcare. It uses the hybrid model of contribution where the central design system team is responsible for the overall direction. This hybrid model helps the design team keep the system accurate and useful.
How it works
When a designer wants to introduce a change in the design system (whether it’s a new design token, component, or pattern), they follow the change introduction process defined by the design system owners. The model is primarily focused on medium and heavy contributions (creating a brand new component or tool) but can also be used for light contributions that can affect multiple teams (a small design tweak to an existing component or style that is used in many parts of the system).
The process typically involves the following steps:
- Contribution proposal. The contribution proposal helps the design system owner understand what the designer is trying to achieve by introducing a change and what’s stopping them from achieving their goal with the current state of Nord’s design.
- Kick-off meeting. During the meeting, both the designer who proposed a change and the design system owners agree on the scope of contribution, discuss the involvement of both sides and confirm timelines.
- Design change review. Before publishing the change, it is important to make sure that the contribution doesn’t break the accessibility, usability, and consistency standards. The designer responsible for the change submits all required artefacts, and the design system owner reviews the assets.
- Publishing changes. During this step, the design system owner ensures that the change is documented and communicated within the company.
2. Pluralsight and its waste reduction model
Pluralsight provides online tech training to individual and business customers. The company uses a strict process of proposing new features in the design system that minimize the chance of creating something that already exists.
How it works
The model is primarily focused on heavy contribution (creating a brand new component or pattern).
The key idea of this model is not to waste resources and not create waste. The design team is constantly learning about what already exists in the design system and tries to reuse the existing pattern. When the team wants to introduce a new pattern, they evaluate its versatility (Can we design a new component in a way we can use in other parts of the system?)
The team treats contributions as conversations. They want to reduce potential rework and frustration for the contributors by discussing the propositions on bi-weekly syncs and refining them before the work begins.
3. Canonical and its focus on code quality
Canonical is a software company that owns several trademarks, including Ubuntu (a popular Linux OS). The company is also responsible for the CSS framework Vanilla. The company works on various projects with different needs, so new patterns will emerge regularly, and existing ones will have to be improved to be more flexible. The team documented the process that a pattern should follow in order to become a Vanilla pattern.
How it works
The model is offered as a decision tree that makes it easier for team members to understand whether the change they want to make will be a one-off (snowflake) or part of the design system.
One interesting thing about this model is that it makes quality assurance a mandatory step during the procedure of pattern creation. Once designs pass the initial review, they go to development and QA teams for code review and functional testing to ensure the changes meet the technical and functional requirements.
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Design System Contribution Models was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.