Some call it Surfaces, others Containers. It surfaces here and there as Elevation (pun intended) or under other peculiar, unfortunate names. Placement within a layout, hierarchy and purpose of the containing section, and current background colour are all examples of design contexts that lack a common name to go by. This article explores why this concept remains underdeveloped and suggests a few paths forward.

In the early 2000s, list items and links were simple <li> and <a>. Not all mighty components as they are today. Still, it felt like there was nothing you couldn’t do with CSS. Alas, somewhere along the way, things got complicated. These days everything feels slower and somewhat stiffer. How did we get this far from the simplicity of CSS? I try to answer as best as I can.

Building a backlog from a messy prototype can be challenging, but it’s essential to change gears and depart from the prototyping mindset. Here are some strategies to deal with cognitive overload and to quickly start breaking down the chaos into meaningful, actionable, and purposeful tasks.

As design systems evolve, managing tokens across tools, code, and documentation has become routine. However, relying solely on tokens as the ultimate source of truth introduces unnecessary complexity and constraints. This post highlights common limitations of design tokens and highlights the importance of modeling design contexts.

Woah, it’s been so long. How did that happen?

Let’s quickly catch up and take it from here.

Some days writing feels like climbing a muddy mountain. It takes way too much time and effort :sweat: to create something I’m even remotely satisfied with.

Can I somehow break this cycle and find a sustainable pace without these year-long interruptions? Or do I actually need another break?

No! :pinched_fingers: Not even close! There is nothing more metal than a Catalan correfoc.

It’s 10 minutes past 9 and I am still shaking in awe and excitement for all the crazy things I saw today. :drum_with_drumsticks: :fire: :boom: :dragon: :japanese_goblin: But it isn’t over yet, is it?

As an aftershock of the lockdown and deconfinement agony, I started having anxiety attacks every now and then.

This is the story of my descent into a paralysing fear of being anxious. :scream: And how I picked up a racket and a pair of drum sticks to replace cigarettes and procrastination with sweating, friends, and commitments. :muscle:

This post is the first of a kind. I don’t remember ever publishing a product endorsement before. But the Shokz OpenRun headphones solved a few problems for me. And at the same time surprised me beyond any expectations. If you are struggling with tinnitus, itching, or skin shedding, I recommend you try these game changing headphones.

Last week I had the privilege of sharing a virtual stage with my good friend Nevan Scott to talk about design systems and Button School’s new Design Systems Short Course. Great turn up! :star-struck: And great to see so many people excited about this topic, asking interesting questions, sharing their experience, and eager to get busy designing and building. :open_hands: