Design patterns, Wonder Blocks, and product etiquette

After reflecting on the latest form design trend—buttons inside form fields—Adam Silver offers three questions to help evaluate new trending patterns, avoid unnecessary work and ultimately avoid patterns that degrade UX.
Adam’s three questions are helpfully formulated to re-ground designers in real data, even as they explore more creative solutions to common problems.
“The purpose of design is to solve actual problems. Not made up ‘I’m bored so I’ll come up with something new’ problems.”

Khan Academy may be one of the most well-known names in online education, but behind-the-scenes chaos (with 50 kinds of buttons and links, multiple inaccessible conflicting color systems, and 100+ instances of style definitions for type) led to an urgent need for a full design system revamp.
From auditing existing design components to working with marketing to determine a cohesive brand experience, the massive effort of building a coherent design system utilized a lengthy roll-out process and unique “guild” organization within various teams.
“Together, we make a case for and schedule Wonder Blocks work directly on product timelines. [...] This has greatly improved the chances of a Wonder Blocks addition/change being shipped, being shipped in a timely manner, and our ability to work sustainably as a team.”

From blaring notifications to Siri, tech tools are more intrusive than not, leading to an opportunity for designers to focus on incorporating principles of etiquette, such as subtle notifications, informed choices, and harmonious transitions.
Etiquette isn’t limited to notifications: visual UI can benefit from softening gradients, or utilizing palettes that conform to the time of day.
“In the rush to make devices ubiquitous and “smart,” tech companies have created for us a monstrous pet that resists training, is not very affectionate, and is definitely not house broken.”

Guerd Alberts, a UX Academy graduate, showcases a strong example of what truly tailoring your portfolio to an industry looks like.

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