On Theme: Design Systems in Depth

Elyse Holladay
  • 5.0 (1)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
On Theme: Design Systems in Depth

Exploring how successful design systems get built, maintained, and deliver impact for their product teams. Go deeper than tokens and get more detailed than "it depends". Expect aha moments, actionable insights, thoughtful discussions, and spicy takes from accomplished design system practitioners. Hosted by Elyse Holladay.

Episodes

  1. All the things you shouldn’t do for design system success, with Dan Mall — #04

    5 DAYS AGO

    All the things you shouldn’t do for design system success, with Dan Mall — #04

    📲 Text the show your thoughts! I'm thrilled to have the one and only Dan Mall on the show, and in this episode, we get deep into all the things you maybe don't want to do if you want your design system to be successful. Dan shares his experiences with failed design systems, one very failed attempt at pitching a system to leadership, why he thinks design systems should be specific not generic and maybe... not include foundations? Plus, we talk about useless documentation, what's next for...

    54 min
  2. Layoffs, rebrands, and getting "zero results" from your design system, with Noelle Lansford — #03

    FEB 3

    Layoffs, rebrands, and getting "zero results" from your design system, with Noelle Lansford — #03

    📲 Text the show your thoughts! You can't talk about design systems lately without addressing the elephant in the room: layoffs. Noelle walks us through her experience of multiple layoffs in one year, why 2023 was so different than 2020, and how the success criteria of design systems correlated with team layoffs. We discuss the bogeyman of "getting zero results from your design system" and what Noelle was hearing from business leadership about that, and how storytelling might matter more than ...

    58 min
  3. When Design Systems became A Thing with Jina Anne — #02

    JAN 27

    When Design Systems became A Thing with Jina Anne — #02

    📲 Text the show your thoughts! Jina Anne gives us a history of the journey from early style guides to widespread industry adoption of design systems, and the challenges and successes. We explore how tokens came to be, how it feels when the engineering team just starts using your work before it's ready, the separation of HTML/CSS/JS concerns, and how ClarityConf got started. Plus, the origin of the phrase "design systems" (maybe?), and what the NASA Graphic Standards Manual has to do wit...

    55 min
  4. Efficiency, respect, and the origins of design systems with Brad Frost — #01

    JAN 20

    Efficiency, respect, and the origins of design systems with Brad Frost — #01

    📲 Text the show your thoughts! Brad Frost takes us back in time to the early days of design systems, and walks us through some of the significant moments of evolution from style guides to modern design systems. We dig in to the multiple proto-Storybook-esque projects, the original problem of sharing UI patterns, what React did, and Brad's personal moment of "oh, it's called design systems now." Plus, a bonus podcast throwback from the Style Guides Podcast feat. Dave Rupert and some early prot...

    44 min

  5. JAN 6 · BONUS

    On Theme S1 Minisode 2: 2025 Predictions

    📲 Text the show your thoughts! Elyse shares five predictions for design systems in 2025 and beyond in the second pre-season minisode. Text the show to share your thoughts and predictions and maybe even be featured in a future minisode! Early Bird tickets are available until January 15th for Into Design System's excellent annual virtual conference, featuring Nathan Curtis, Romina Kavcic, Cintia Romero, and more. Get your tickets now before prices go up at intodesignsystems.com/ontheme

    19 min

  6. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    On Theme S1 Minisode 1

    📲 Text the show your thoughts! Are design systems in the trough of disillusionment? Elyse explores the past decade of design systems and what we're missing in this pre-season one minisode.

    14 min

  7. SEASON 1, EPISODE 1 TRAILER

    On Theme: The Trailer

    📲 Text the show your thoughts!

    2 min

Trailers

About

Exploring how successful design systems get built, maintained, and deliver impact for their product teams. Go deeper than tokens and get more detailed than "it depends". Expect aha moments, actionable insights, thoughtful discussions, and spicy takes from accomplished design system practitioners. Hosted by Elyse Holladay.

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