Modern Style Guides for a Better Tomorrow

Times are changing and so must the process in which we design and build websites. The days of designing static compositions in Photoshop are a thing of the past, instead, responsive design within the browser is the future. This new world is not without its own risks, but if we focus on maintainability, organization, and modularity we can achieve a better tomorrow.

In this talk Shay will outline styleguides, living documentation on the design and development of a website, and their role within web design and development process. Looking at a few modern practices and standards, this talk will cover the benefits of stylesguides, the strategy behind creating one, and how to best utilize one within your project.

Transcript

1. Modern Style Guides for a Better Tomorrow Shay Howe @shayhowe learn.shayhowe.com
2. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe CSS is Hard
7. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Consistency is one of the most powerful usability principles: when things always behave the same, users don’t have to worry about what will happen. – Jakob Nielson “
8. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Times are Changing
9. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Tools • HTML5 & CSS3 have opened doors • Preprocessors make writing code more efficient • Frameworks improve abstraction
10. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Standards • Web standards are evolving • OOCSS & SMACSS promote modularization • Maintainability & performance are gaining traction
11. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Browsers • Feature support is truly respectful • Rendering has tremendously improved • Updates are continuous
12. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Processes • Static compositions are a house of cards • Responsive design is a must • Mobile first approach provides clarity
13. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe We Need to… • Design, or decide, in the browser • Provide a realistic presentation of a website • Quickly change & iterate • Stay consistent • Think in systems, not pages • Build a style guide
14. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe What is a Style Guide
20. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Style Guide Goals
21. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Provide Consistency • Build a living reference library • Favor constraints • Encourage more cohesive design • Improve maintainability
24. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Set Standards • Document design & development standards • Conform to standards • Socialize standards
26. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Improve Workflow • See the design in action • Cut out unnecessary steps • Provide better deliverables • Make life easier & save time
27. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Raise Awareness • Give design & development a voice • Create a shared vocabulary • Advocate quality
30. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Getting Support
39. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Development Strategy
40. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Research • Gather the team • Ask thought provoking questions • Listen to what is needed • Organize feedback
41. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Take Inventory • Take visual inventory • Recognize patterns • Identify what to include... • Branding • Buttons • Colors • Forms • Icons • Layout • Media • Navigation • Typography
42. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Build Incrementally • Set a foundation for content Colors, Layout, Lists, Normalize, Typography • Add in theme & components Alerts, Buttons, Labels, Navigation, Tooltips • Round out specifics Carousels, Hero, Sidebar
51. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Bring It to Life • Build in live, real code • Show behaviors & interactions • Use actual examples • Make it comprehensive
55. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Document Standards • Document set standards • Educate through standards • Include brand, development, design & editorial guidelines
60. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Iterate • Do not neglect the style guide • Keep the audience in mind • Reduce friction • Have a review process
61. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Moving Forward
62. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Drive Participation • Encourage contribution • Evolve through collaboration • Make it accessible
63. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Watch the Unpredictable • Predict the unpredictable • Be rigorous, say no! • Again, conform to standard
64. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Learn from Others • Look to others for advice • Study different style guides & frameworks • Don’t reinvent the wheel
65. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Helpful Resources • Website Style Guide Resources styleguides.io • The Style Guide Guide vinspee.me/style-guide-guide • Style Guide Boilerplate brettjankord.com/projects/style-guide-boilerplate • Stylify Me stylifyme.com
66. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe In Closing
67. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe 1 Provide consistency 2 Set standards 3 Form relationships 4 Build incrementally 5 Iterate often
69. Modern Style Guides @shayhowe Thank You! @shayhowe learn.shayhowe.com Save 35% “LEARNCODE2” peachpit.com