Design Systems WTF

zeroheight
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A podcast from zeroheight.Let’s be honest, design systems are full of choice wtf moments. Michelle and Luke, two of our resident design advocates, are attempting to combat this with a new regular series, where they answer a single question around design system troubles every two weeks. 

  1. 31/03

    Does your design system need a PM?

    Episode 52 - Does your design system need a PM? Live recording of the fortnightly podcast Design Systems WTF (back for season two!), where Luke Murphy and Michelle Chin attempt to combat all the amazing wtf in design systems. In each episode, they answer a single question around design system troubles with a Q&A from the live audience. Time for the hot takes - do design systems need product management? Or is it something that just gets in the way and stops work happening? Show notes Design System Report 2026Amy Hupe

    41 min

  2. 17/03

    What do you actually test?

    Episode 51 - What do you actually test? Live recording of the fortnightly podcast Design Systems WTF (back for season two!), where Luke Murphy and Michelle Chin attempt to combat all the amazing wtf in design systems. In each episode, they answer a single question around design system troubles with a Q&A from the live audience. Once you've done a first pass on anything in your design system, how do you validate it? Do you create complicated automated tests to ensure absolute consistency? Or do you even put it in front of real people to make sure it works? Show notes Rocket Surgery Made Easy by Steve KrugAXE MCP serverTetralogical - a great accessibility agency

    35 min

  3. 3/03

    Do MCPs care more about patterns or components?

    Live recording of the fortnightly podcast Design Systems WTF (back for season two!), where Luke Murphy and Michelle Chin attempt to combat all the amazing wtf in design systems. In each episode, they answer a single question around design system troubles with a Q&A from the live audience. Now we're in the business of creating context for AI (ew), what is actually important when we're creating documentation that will be used by machines AND humans? Are detailed component guidelines important? Are the foundations essential to get right? Or can we rely on top-level patterns and vague guidance? Show notes How LLMs use MCPs to read your design system and how to write prompts that work with thatProduct Deep Dive Webinar: MCP, vibe coding, and your design systemPDF of A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander et al.Google Prompting Essentials course on CourseraMarketing Against the Grain podcastAI and Design Systems course with Brad Frost, Ian Frost and TJ PitreTJ Pitre on LinkedInDom Nguyen on LinkedInSil Bormüller on LinkedIn

    47 min

  4. 17/02

    Are we delighting enough in our design systems?

    Live recording of the fortnightly podcast Design Systems WTF (back for season two!), where Luke Murphy and Michelle Chin attempt to combat all the amazing wtf in design systems. In each episode, they answer a single question around design system troubles with a Q&A from the live audience. Design systems kill creativity, right? We've heard that said so many times. But are we actually taking the time to inject joy into the system itself? Not only considering it as a part of the process for what we include in the system, but also in how we do documentation, release notes, and general communication around the design system? Or controversially... is it even important? Show notes Luke’s article on delighting in design systemsSociete Generale release notes articleAaron Walter’s Heirarchy of User NeedsThe socks component in Gitlab’s Pyjamas design system

    41 min

  5. 3/02

    Do our design systems give new joiners anxiety?

    Live recording of the fortnightly podcast Design Systems WTF (back for season two!), where Luke Murphy and Michelle Chin attempt to combat all the amazing wtf in design systems. In each episode, they answer a single question around design system troubles with a Q&A from the live audience. Set the scene - you've joined a new company as a product designer or engineer, and you're confronted with a massive system, with custom naming and opaque decisions. Queue anxiety. So how do we make our design systems easy to understand, and make them a strength for onboarding new joiners? Show notes Amy’s talk about jargonzh’s AI features

    33 min

  6. 20/01

    What will happen in design systems in 2026?

    Live recording of the fortnightly podcast Design Systems WTF (back for season two!), where Luke Murphy and Michelle Chin attempt to combat all the amazing wtf in design systems. In each episode, they answer a single question around design system troubles with a Q&A from the live audience. It's time to peer into the crystal ball and predict what's coming up for design systems this year and further out. Will AI take all our jobs? Are design systems becoming a thing of the past? Will we finally kill all creativity? Or are we still plodding along to general adoption? Show notes No show notes this episode!

    40 min

  7. 6/01

    What's with the emotional baggage with design systems?

    Design system folks seem to be prone to burnout, arguments, and generally feeling underappreciated within their organizations. What makes design systems folks so prone to being loaded with additional weight? We discuss why this happens, as well as some strategies to overcome it. Show Notes Amy Hupe – "Burn baby burnout" (based on her Converge Manchester 2023 talk): https://amyhupe.co.uk/articles/burn-baby-burnout/Lauren LoPrete – "Design Systems Burnout" talk at Clarity 2021: https://www.clarityconf.com/session/design-systems-burnoutRobin Rendle – "Design Systems Burnout" newsletter: https://robinrendle.com/the-cascade/012-design-systems-burnout/Brad Frost - “Master design systems governance with this one weird trick: bradfrost.com/blog/post/master-design-system-governance-with-this-one-weird-trick/

    38 min

  8. 23/12/2025

    Are we reducing complexity with design systems??

    Live recording of the fortnightly podcast Design Systems WTF (back for season two!), where Luke Murphy and Michelle Chin attempt to combat all the amazing wtf in design systems. In each episode, they answer a single question around design system troubles with a Q&A from the live audience. Time to get spicy... One of the big promises of the hype of design systems was that it would reduce organizational and product complexity by providing efficient, replicable ways of doing things. Now that we've bedded in, its time to ask - how much do design systems actually reduce complexity? Do they just reorganize and make complexity more palatable? Show notes Product Deep Dive on Systematizing your DocumentationMichelle’s article on structuring your design systems

    32 min
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Sobre

A podcast from zeroheight.Let’s be honest, design systems are full of choice wtf moments. Michelle and Luke, two of our resident design advocates, are attempting to combat this with a new regular series, where they answer a single question around design system troubles every two weeks. 

Informação

  • Autoria
    zeroheight
  • Anos em atividade
    2023 - 2026
  • Episódios
    49
  • Classificação
    Explícito
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Zero Height Limited
  • Site do programa
    Design Systems WTF

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