Dec 17, 2019The lifecycle of a componentVanilla Framework is a living design system for our products that will grow along with our organization. Vanilla’s component library is used by many internal and external websites along with the cloud applications JAAS dashboard and MAAS UI. We release updates approximately every 2 weeks, either for bug fixes, improvements or new components. All members of the team can make changes once discussed and agreed upon. …Design4 min read
Jun 19, 2019New release: Vanilla framework 2.0Over the past year, we’ve been working hard to bring you the next release of Vanilla framework: version 2.0, our most stable release to date. Since our last significant release, v1.8.0 back in July last year, we’ve been working hard to bring you new features, improve the framework and make…CSS4 min read
Jan 31, 2019A fresh look for releases.ubuntu.comAs part of the ongoing project to upgrade all of our websites to use our Vanilla Framework, we tackled releases.ubuntu.com, a website that lists all Ubuntu releases available for download. Design and build process Identify page types The first step in the design process was identifying how many pages needed updating and the general scope of the…Web Development4 min read
Oct 8, 2018Case study: Fitness leaderboardDesign a fitness digital leaderboard that generates real-time performance data, creating a multi-screen user experience. Research I prepared a questionnaire survey and distributed it among multiple users at my local gym. Visualize performance data for users to understand User participation and identity Technical constraints accessing smartphone app User profiles I prepared a questionnaire…UX5 min read
Sep 14, 2018Leading the Vanilla design systemAfter a busy year of working on our Vanilla CSS framework, I wanted to reflect upon what I have learned, and share my thoughts on leading the design for a growing design system. How it all began Whilst working as a visual designer across our suite of Cloud and Web products, I became aware…Design5 min read
Aug 16, 2018Divorcing my Apple iPhoneThe end of a 10 year relationship… I’ve been married to my iPhone since 2007 when Apple launched their first-generation smartphone, it’s been a wonderful journey over the past 11 years but with the evolution of smart devices, there was more on offer elsewhere and decided to make the jump… Four reasons I married Google Pixel 1. Size matters The iPhone has a 4.7-inch screen, while…Apple2 min read
Jul 16, 2018Accessible design in MAASThe design team were tasked in making MAAS accessible. How did we make this happen? Firstly, we needed to reference WCAG 2.0 accessible guidelines and understand the four principles of accessibility: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust. This then enabled us to determine design goals from these principles to achieve Level…Accessibility4 min read
