Dara Pressley, Lead Architect @ CustomInk twitter: @uxdiva

Sketching in HTML

These were our teams design tools

Design could only be - Notional

But design tool is not a browser

So now we use this.

Github

Sketching in code helps to promote communication between designer and developer.

Our developers have been very happy that we went this direction. Because it makes their jobs easier.

Key stakeholders can see from the beginning the concepts in HTML and so have more confidence in the design.

Sketching in code is not

• Production level code

• DRY

• Works across multiple browsers

InsteadWe work to try to get our code to render the way we want the design to look. In 1 browser on 1 OS.

• Even if it’s messy • Even if we repeat code • Even if we build the module

twice and hide/show as we go through breakpoints

fake responsive module

Living Style Guide

The secret weapon

Goals of the Living Guide

• UX / VX lead style guide

• representing the CustomInk design principles

• Responsive

• The coded expression of the style guide

• Ability to easily add to and update styles and components

• Documentation

• Prototyping Support

Content Firstmobile second

It was very important to design that we be able to build the page according to the needs of the content. And then, designing for the small screen was the next step to assure that layouts were not to complex or heavy.

• We had a notion of breakpoints

• But did not what to be restricted by them

The hardest thing to get our minds wrapped around was that there is no grid. That we needed to be the grid and wrap its structure around the needs of the content.

We had a lot of discussion around the header and footer in particular. Because, regardless of what we did to the content area of the page, the users experience should be consistent as they move from page to page on their particular device

Elements & Components

By using the living style guide, I get the benefit of all the elements and components that are already developed.

Responsive Typography

src: http://typecast.com/blog/a-more-modern-scale-for-web-typography

Text needed to resize based on screen size. Large screen h1s look enormous on small screens.

Title TextDesign Specifications

• Design specifications are already included in the html/css

• Vertical Rhythm is inherited by the style guide first, then can be altered by the designer if needed.

Thanks! Dara Pressley

@uxdiva