How to build a UX/UI library

Some articles about library development focus on the different things I want to share here. Most of these are focused on specific implementations, talking through frameworks and other items that can be chosen for your own libraries with detailed examples given as well when possible/appropriate – but not all at once! This article will instead explore features which any good components library should have; anything beyond what’s required by most projects out there right now (which hopefully won’t ever change).

 

What Is a Pattern Library?

Pattern libraries are a powerful tool for designers and developers to solve difficult design problems. They’re referred as patterns because they repeat solutions that have been used time and again, solving similar issues with new products each day.

The design process is like building a structure out of Legos. You can choose which pieces you want, put them together in any order and shape that suits your needs- then take them apart again when done!

Larger components such as a Facebook status update card on the newsfeed are typically built by combining many of these smaller patterns. This approach, which has been referred to Atomic Design and we’ll cover in more detail later – if you’re interested hurry up!

This article discusses how designers can use atomic designs for creating larger elements within their work-tasting menu or website layout.

You may like: What Is Collaborative Prototyping?

 

Think About Your Pattern Library From the Start

The temptation is to document a pattern library once you have built your site. But this somewhat undermines the point of having created one in the first place!

When working on designing or developing any kind of website, I tend always put together my prototype before anybody writes code – which includes creating libraries featuring wireframes for each individual pattern and notes about how it works as well as other considerations while still at an early stage where things are still being figured out by us designers/ developers too.

This is a great approach because it lets you start coding as soon as the design has been finalized. You can then flesh out your patterns with final CSS and HTML when they become available, greatly reducing development time—and potentially saving money in the process!

 

When would you implement a pattern library?

Pattern libraries are a really great way to store, organize and share code. They can be used for many purposes from improving productivity by only having access to one place where you know all about what’s being done with your project at any given time – which saves valuable hours every day!- or building out basic components that make up larger projects like websites before moving onto more complex ones later down the line without forgetting anything along the way because there won’t ever again need an extra copy of something just sitting around taking up space unless wanted specifically A new pattern library may also come in handy when starting work on.

 

• New Products

We all know how it feels when you start building something from scratch. Aimi faced this exact situation while they were developing InsightMaker and needed an easy way to incorporate patterns into their product quickly, which would also help with the future growth of the company’s IP portfolio as well as provide them guidance on what has been done before in order create new products based upon these foundations.

 

• On Existing Products

The pattern library is a great way to audit your product(s), take stock of the components being used, and catalog any errors or inconsistencies. This can be difficult if you don’t have time at hand start-to creating one yourself but Aiimi has worked with businesses that need digital solutions already in place – we’ve found many however are either outdated & inconsistent because they were designed by different teams over years ago, which causes them additional work when updating their codebase. 

The Retrospective Pattern Library comes into play here: allowing for an effective audit so as not to miss anything!

 

Why would you want to spend your time on this?

1. it’ll save you time in the long run!

Designing and building the components upfront takes time, but being able to reference a guide ultimately saves designers much more when they’re working on big projects or products. This is because you don’t have to write specs over again- instead, your team can spend that valuable resource prototyping ideas while still keeping everything consistent with one another’s work!

2. people like what’s familiar.

consistency is key when designing websites and apps. Consistency brings a sense of comfort to users, who can quickly learn how new parts work without having trouble navigating your site or application because it’s very familiar with design patterns.

Consistent styles make navigation easier by reducing cognitive load on the user; they know what’s coming next thanks largely due its predictability.

 

Strategies and Best Practices for Building a Pattern Library

Integrate it into your design process, and start early!

It is important to capture your design ideas while you are designing so that they do not get lost or forgotten. If a form element proves necessary for more than one page of the app, make sure it’s included in order to reuse its elements later on during different phases if needed!

 

Keep it Concise

New patterns are expensive. They cost time for designers and developers, which can be difficult when you’re trying to keep up with industry trends! And the extra code is never fun or easy- especially if your team doesn’t yet have experience designing this type of thing before – but it will pay off in long-term benefits down the road as more people use these libraries that were made specifically by those who know how their site works best from personal experience (you).

You may like: How To Create A Prototype Ui Ux And Best Prototyping Tools

 

Make it Easy to Update

The solution to this problem is obvious – document all your patterns in a single format that can be efficiently shared across teams. Documenting each pattern as an individual PDF will make maintenance difficult and it’s challenging for other designers or developers who want access to your library because there are so many files!  If you start off with just one document though, eventually things get messy fast; I recommend creating super long ones (500 pages?) since people always seem like they’re looking at something new when scrolling through large books on their computer screens.

 

Conclusion

UI/UX pattern libraries are like a safety net for your design process. They provide consistency and early adopters can be found by looking at historical data or asking developers what they need from you in order to make their lives easier (and maybe get some feedback too).

Maintaining this resource is worth the time spent because it saves companies both money AND valuable resources such as manpower; all while promoting best practices across every brand under one roof!

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