462: Refactoring a Design System

462: Refactoring a Design System

Author: Brian Lovin, Marshall Bock September 12, 2023 Duration: 47:33

This week, Marshall breaks down his process, tips, and tricks to redesign a design system in Figma.

The Sidebar:

The Sidebar is an exclusive weekly segment for our Patreon supporters. You can subscribe starting at $1 per month for access to bonus content going forward! Sign up at patreon.com/designdetails.

Latest VIP Patrons:

  • Adam Noffsinger
  • Raffi Chilingaryan
  • Joel Laughlin
  • Evie
  • Lam Pham
  • Caleb Meyer
  • Jacques Moussafir
  • Sean Simmons
  • Juan Morales-Rocha
  • Joseph Cooper
  • Gareth Jones
  • Mohammad Alnajjar
  • Julian Duffe
  • Wenhui Yao
  • Phil Sayer
  • Drakynn
  • Ankur Roy
  • Tracey McAllister

Main Topic:

This week, Marshall breaks down his process, tips, and tricks to redesign a design system in Figma.

Cool Things:

  • Brian shared How We Made MuseScore 4 — certainly one of the best videos about software design on the web. Watch it!
  • Marshall shared Sequel, a beautiful save-for-later app for movies, shows, games, and books.
  • Marshall also shared Callsheet, the perfect way to find actors in shows and movies.

Design Details on the Web:

Byeee!


Every week, Brian Lovin and Marshall Bock settle in for a thoughtful, often meandering chat that pulls back the curtain on how things are made. Their Design Details podcast lives in the rich space where technology and the arts intersect, focusing less on polished case studies and more on the real, sometimes messy, work of design. You’ll hear them dissect the nuances of product decisions, debate the evolving culture of creative teams, and share personal stories from their own experiences in the industry. It feels less like a lecture and more like eavesdropping on a conversation between two deeply knowledgeable friends. The discussions regularly venture into the philosophical side of craft, examining why certain choices resonate and how design shapes our daily interactions with the world. For anyone curious about the thinking behind the pixels and interfaces, this show offers a consistent, grounded perspective. Tuning in provides a sense of community and a candid look at the process, making it a staple for designers and creators who appreciate substance over flash.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Design Details
Podcast Episodes
423: What We Learned in 2021 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:33
This week, we recap how we grew, and the things we learned, in 2021. In The Sidebar, we look forward to 2022 and talk about some of our personal and professional goals for the new year.Sponsor:Patreon is hiring product d…
422: The Complainisode [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:04
This week, we were invited to have a rant session about the little things in modern software that drive us nuts. A complainisode! In the Sidebar, we share our strategies for having a successful design challenge interview…
421: The Future of Remote Design Teams [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:34
This week, we talk about the pros and cons of working on a remote design team, and what we think the future of design organizations will look like in a post-pandemic world. In The Sidebar, we talk about how to weigh comp…
420: The Pointer Cursor Debate [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:49
This week, we discuss the humble cursor and its role in affording interactivity in software design. In The Sidebar, we talk about the long term impact of the features we build, the importance of smart defaults, and the v…
419: Teaching Design at Work [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:48
This week, we share our strategies and motivations for teaching design at work. In The Sidebar, we talk about the shape of software, how we visualize the tools we build, and what it means for software to feel like someth…
418: Fictional User Interfaces [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:59
This week, we talk about the weird and beautiful world of fictional user interfaces: why do futuristic UIs look so cool? And why aren't they usable? Is the future really going to look like this? In The Sidebar, we share…
417: The Side Project Prophecy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:09
This week, we reflect on why it is that talking about building a side project can often reduce your motivation to actually finish the project. We dig into our latest side project progress and share tips for maintaining m…
416: UI Reviews and QA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:33
This week, we talk about our processes for reviewing UI and making sure that things are shipping as close to spec as possible. In The Sidebar, we recap Apple’s Unleashed event, sharing our favorite moments and spicy take…
415: News Desk, Vol. 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:18
This week, we talk about the new Stripe Press website, pasting behavior in Figma, the latest tvOS UI, and the importance of using fake data in placeholder copy. In The Sidebar, we share our tools and strategies for remem…
414: Memorable Software Moments [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:30
This week, we recall our most recent “wow” moments with the products in our lives. What are yours? In The Sidebar, we talk about different loading state strategies and their impact on the user experience.Golden Ratio Sup…