Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
Building a New Home for the Atlassian Design System
Summary
Key Insights
-
•
Multiple sources of truth in design systems cause inconsistencies and confusion, as seen with the button component font weight differences across specs, design files, and code.
-
•
Design systems should treat code as the source of truth while making design tools like Figma an integrated extension of that truth.
-
•
The Constellation project aims to create a single, consistent destination for design and development documentation, consolidating 50+ guidelines and 27 out of 60 components.
-
•
Collaboration between designers and engineers early in the process is critical to align priorities, avoid scope creep, and build trust.
-
•
Governance in design systems works best as shared execution through community trust and enabling teams, rather than policing or harsh compliance enforcement.
-
•
Workshops and detailed documentation are essential for onboarding new team members quickly and preserving knowledge amid team changes.
-
•
Live code examples embedded in documentation reduce maintenance burdens and ensure consumers always see current component behavior.
-
•
Versioning pace needs balancing—too frequent releases burden product teams trying to keep up and can hinder adoption.
-
•
Research methods like card sorting and usability testing directly influence information architecture and navigation improvements in the new documentation.
-
•
Buy-in from leadership and stakeholders grew through repeated demos and a unified team vision, highlighting the value and reducing skepticism over time.
Notable Quotes
"We kept feeling the same consistent pain around some truths for our design system."
"Kate said she considers live code to be the source of truth because she can't trust the design site due to inconsistencies."
"Code is definitely considered the source of truth; we're working hard to make Figma an extension of that."
"Governance is not policing; we're here to help you create the best experience and save time."
"Workshops often reveal gaps in documentation, which is a spicy take but true."
"It's really about finding a way to link all the different aspects to bring everything together to tell the story."
"Continuous adaptation is key; you're adapting to the system as much as adopting it."
"If you can't get buy-in for collaboration between engineers and designers, start from the bottom and talk more early and often."
"Updating and adopting design system components is company time, so a slower release schedule helps teams keep up."
"We absolutely need feedback loops so engineers and designers can influence the design system and keep it relevant."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"I tried to do everything all by myself at first and it didn’t catch on because no one else knew I was doing it."
Shipra KayanHow we Built a VoC (Voice of the Customer) Practice at Upwork from the Ground Up
September 30, 2021
"Most categories are fuzzy; there’s no clear boundary between what’s in or out."
Peter MorvilleThe Architecture of Understanding
May 13, 2015
"You’re not one of them. And that is your strength, Renee. That is your power."
Renee ReidBecoming a ResearchH.E.R (Highly Enterprise Ready)
June 3, 2019
"Physical therapists see their hands as a golden resource and tend to resist technology that might replace that."
Dane DeSutterKeeping the Body in Mind: What Gestures and Embodied Actions Tell You That Users May Not
March 26, 2024
"Accessibility is a journey and a conversation—thanks for starting yours by being here today."
Sam ProulxOnline Shopping: Designing an Accessible Experience
October 3, 2023
"Aligning content to audience expectations requires understanding their intent through market research."
Andrew Custage Michael MallettThe Digital Journey: Research on Consumer Frustration and Loyalty
March 29, 2023
"Persisting conversations in Slack instead of Zoom chat means folks can revisit and join conversations asynchronously."
Shelby SwitzerMaking Space for Community Knowledge-sharing in a Distributed World
December 10, 2021
"Volume is a losing game because we cannot outcompete full AI automation for sheer speed and quantity of insights."
Llewyn PaineCoexisting with AI: A practical guide for researchers to navigate tools, ethics, and integration
March 11, 2025
"Simon Roberts calls this the UX ification of research, which leads to a more transactional focus on informing technology requirements."
Robin BeersNavigating organizational systems: Rethinking researcher’s role in driving change
March 13, 2025
