Juliette Weiss

“Where am I?” As our design system matures, things move around. We’re trying to invest in ways that allow feature designers and engineers to locate where they are within a design system, and where to find what they need. → Multiple design libraries can be hard to track and become confusing when designers and engineers aren’t aware of what does and doesn’t exist in each library. → Every component and pattern has a varying degree of specificity from generic to a specific business context or content pattern and deciding what goes where is confusing. → Theming in Figma is great, but... the current nature of variables can make managing multiple modes across multiple brands challenging. Here’s how we’ve been trying to get our head around reducing complexity for our team and consumers 🏗 Figma file architecture - Having a clear plan for structuring your design system libraries is critical for folks to find stuff. Our early attempts at a highly modular system with numerous smaller libraries were too unwieldy. We’ve landed into a Tokens, Components, Patterns, and Features structure that streamlines the process for everyone. It was super cool to stumble on these Figma docs that deep dive into various strategies for organizing your files https://lnkd.in/dGyN-SQw 🚦 Wayfinding elements - Once designers and engineers are in the files themselves, it's still easy to get lost. We’ve implemented consistent color-coded “file covers” distinguishing design system files from feature files, “getting started” pages outlining file dependencies, and consistent page naming conventions indicating iterations from elements that are ready for development. Thanks to Vitaly Friedman for the reference to Saurav Rastogi's post on Figma file organization which is packed with insights. https://lnkd.in/giBs_Jgn 🎨 Multi-brand variables - Our team has worked hard to figure out the most intuitive way to allow for white-labeling our design system for custom theming. We currently leverage modes at multiple layers of the design system based on their specificity from global to semantic to component to pattern. Romina Kavcic has endless resources for teams who are looking to build out their token strategy. https://lnkd.in/deiMGCe9 💎 Wayfinding within design systems is hard but a couple of things that help folks understand where they are and what they can do → Partner with engineers on an architecture that maps somewhat to their mental model making things more intuitive → Setup wayfinding documentation within your Figma files that orient users to where they are within the system → Map your tokens and variables across your system so that it is clear how to layer modes to achieve custom themes #designsystems #figma #uidesign #tokens #components #patterns

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Federated design systems are great. In theory. But reality is a little more complicated. There are challenges associated with quality, consistency and follow through. In our latest episode, Davy Fung and I discuss the highs and lows of federated design systems. What's worked, what hasn't and how to come out the other side in one piece. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/g4W3SYqR #designsystems #podcast

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If we're not talking about design maturity, agile process, or craft, then us designers are probably talking about ✨quality.✨ I certainly see my interviewer's eyes light up when I mention this magical word. "Design is the one that has to hold the quality bar," I tell them. But what if that didn't have to be true? For a truly high-quality product, I don't think it should be design holding the line. It has to be something baked into the organization - everyone holds the quality bar. Even though "quality" is a slippery thing to define, if we can define it and hold ourselves to it, we can reduce the tension in the org and start to think less about the mere baseline quality for the product and more about raising that bar - delighting the user. I very much enjoyed Luke Anthony Firth's take on how they folded quality into their product building process. Have a read! https://lnkd.in/g4SenmYZ #designleadership #productprocess #productdesign #productquality #designquality #opentowork

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"Any tips for presenting design case studies in an interview?" a friend recently asked. Most certainly. ✦ Don't bury the outcome with a big reveal. Many times I've watched patiently as designers wait until the end to share the final outcome of their labors, first sharing their process (which is typically the same as every other candidate), sketches, post-its, and so forth. INSTEAD: Lead with a few screens that best represent the outcome. You can do this in 10 seconds. And then avoid the next mistake... ✦ Don't jump straight into your process. See note above. Your process is probably identical to every other candidate. This does little to set you apart. INSTEAD: State the problem clearly you were trying to solve. Clarity about the problem is a designer after my own heart. It shows clear intention to solve user/business needs. ✦ Don't show me personas. Some will disagree with this advice. But as a seasoned design leader, few things leave me more concerned about the inputs to your design work than fictitious avatars, names, and bios. INSTEAD: State the target audience you were designing for. If necessary describe the inputs to identifying this audience. Then follow up with how your work met or exceeded the needs of this audience. (Even better, stop using personas altogether and use archetypes or JTBDs instead.) BONUS TIPS ✨ ✦ If multiple designers worked on the same screen, be upfront about this and clarify what your role was. Personally I find it to be a bit of a letdown when something looks/functions great, only to find out later in our discussion that another designer did part of the work. ✦ Proactively share what you would have done differently if given the chance to do this work all over again. No work is ever perfect. But if you *could* get one step closer to perfection, what would it be. This shows me you're capable of critiquing yourself, which honestly not all designers are adept at. ✦ Provide me with a link to what you're presenting (slide deck, figma). I may want to jump around while you're presenting to find areas that are most likely to help me — and therefore you — discuss the right things relevant to this role. I realize this may be problematic to grant me access, so make a copy and then delete the copy after our interview. Hope this helps.

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Skipping strategy in UX design isn’t just missing a step—it’s missing the chance to lead. My latest post explains why UX strategy is essential to project success and how it transforms designers into strategic partners. https://lnkd.in/gtmnFA7a #userexperience #uxstrategy #businessalignment #productdesign #leadership #designleadership

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UX leaders: Better understand what motivates designers and how you can help them thrive by taking 3 minutes to read this excerpt from Scott Berkun’s new book “Why Design Is Hard”: https://lnkd.in/ev6XyMss

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When Dropbox shifted to #VirtualFirst, my Design team helped lead the efforts to create the new model in a way that actually reimagined modern work. By applying a human centered design approach to build Virtual First—understand what users need, develop hypotheses, design and pilot solutions, observe results and iterate— what we saw as a result was true cultural transformation. This way of working is intentionally designed to make space for creativity, tinkering and deep work, while also reserving time for synchronous collaboration and IRL time when we need it. Through this process, we quickly realized there was a need for more conversation around the unique challenges of working in distributed ways. That’s how we came up with the idea for Remotely Curious—a podcast where we dive deep into the world of remote work and the struggles that come with it. One of my favorite episodes is on the topic of setting boundaries, an art that can take practice while working remotely. It’s something we’re laser focused on here at Dropbox—83% of employees feel successful in designing their own work schedules, but we know our employees want continued support around boundary setting between their work and personal lives as we continue in our Virtual First journey. Psychologist, professor, and best-selling author Andrea Bonior joined Remotely Curious to guide us through the specifics of setting boundaries in the workplace. One lesson that really stuck with me from the conversation was the idea that "clarity is kindness." It’s easy to fall into the trap of people-pleasing, where we start equating saying “yes” as being nice and saying “no” as being “difficult” or creating an uncomfortable environment. But clarity—being clear about your limits and expectations—is actually one of the kindest things you can do for yourself and your team. As leaders in a distributed environment, this is incredibly important to maintaining balance and remaining in control of our work. Creating healthy boundaries in my life enables me to be both a better leader for my team, and a better father and equal contributor at home. By being intentional in supporting myself as well as having a support system, or a “Team Alastair” around me, I can maintain better balance so that I can be the best version of myself, maintain peak-level performance and continue to scale both professionally and personally. I highly recommend giving this one a listen, and would love to hear your thoughts. https://lnkd.in/dn8As9zG #productivity #innovation #futureofwork

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I'm thrilled to share that my latest product and design discovery article is live on Mind the Product! As a consultant, I've observed that the term 'Discovery' can have varying interpretations across different teams. It's not uncommon to encounter a team deeply immersed in a solution yet lacking a shared understanding of the customer opportunity they're addressing. At Lab Zero, we meet clients where they are and advocate for discovery while maintaining flexibility. We often employ lightweight methodologies to foster a shared understanding, even when work is already underway. Teresa Torres' book “Continuous Discovery Habits” is a guide to developing the mindset and practices that enable teams to discover and deliver value to their customers throughout the product development process. Her explanation of the 'Opportunity Solution Tree' helped me articulate a process for asking questions and bridging gaps when joining a new team. The first part of this two-part series looks at reversing the 'Opportunity Solution Tree' to establish a connection between the ongoing solution, customer opportunities, and business outcomes. The second part (coming soon!) will explore strategies for identifying gaps in your team's understanding of customer needs and the necessary measures to mitigate risks before launch. This series will help consultants, new team members, or a struggling team connect with that all-important why and launch valuable experiences for their customers and their orgs. Have you tried something like this with your team? Feedback is appreciated! If you haven't explored Mind The Product's extensive content library, I highly recommend it! In addition to articles about discovery and understanding customer needs, the community has shared insightful perspectives on product leadership, business, and teams. It's a great place to see perspectives on processes and theories informed by real-world use.  #ProductDiscovery #Design #Discovery #ContinuousDiscovery #Onboarding #Risk #CustomerOpportunity #Value #BusinessOutcomes

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Product designers take note. The world is changing so quickly. If you're not designing these kinds of experiences, you are creating something that is already obsolete: 👉🏼 AI agents that work for you proactively 24/7, and autonomously complete tasks and workflows on your behalf. 👉🏼 Multi-modal discussions that include voice, text, and visuals all at once. 👉🏼 Tools that combine all your data into a single knowledgebase that empowers AI with extreme understanding and real-time context across multiple channels and touchpoints. ❌ Wrappers around ChatGPT don't count. You'll be cannibalized. ❌ Co-pilots added on to legacy products don't count. That's still old-paradigm, human-first thinking. It needs to be an end-to-end experience (not a point solution!) that solves valuable niche use cases and replaces labour. (The labour budget is way bigger than the software budget!) That's the future of all software. If you're not building the future, find another job that will allow you to. Anyone disagree? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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⚡ AI x Design Thinking⚡ Just before the holidays, I participated in this great workshop series from IDEO U and wanted to give a shout out. Solid intro on how AI/LLMs can be leveraged in brainstorming/ideation > data synthesis/generating insights > storyboarding/prototyping concepts and some of the limitations/pitfalls to watch for. Good overviews, demos, and interactive sessions + opportunity to connect with a large group of multi-disciplinary folks from around the world. Thanks IDEOU - keep them coming 💡 https://lnkd.in/g5BYDV7r

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Stumbled upon this article and it really got me thinking about the role design plays in shaping user experiences. As a designer, I’m always looking for new insights on how we can create more intuitive, user-first interfaces. This article shares some thought-provoking ideas on design innovation and its impact on business. It’s a great read for anyone in the design or tech space. Highly recommend checking it out! https://lnkd.in/e9fcqAYt

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“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou This truth is especially powerful in product and UX/UI design. While creating a beautiful, user-friendly application might seem straightforward—I've had the privilege of doing it for nearly two decades—the real impact lies in the emotions we evoke. It’s those feelings that turn one-time users into loyal advocates. If you’re curious about how emotions shape user experiences or want to know more about neurodesign, check out this article and others written by @jashsak https://lnkd.in/gtj5JpD6

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Companies increasingly recognize the value of “Super ICs”—senior individual contributors who combine strategic thinking, solid execution, emotional intelligence, and coaching abilities. As budgets tighten, these self-managed experts can drive significant impact without requiring the overhead of a hands-on management layer. By blending leadership traits with hands-on delivery, they help organizations: • Execute complex initiatives while maintaining a broader strategic vision • Maintain emotional balance and showcase resilience, particularly in high-stress, changing environments • Serve as mentors and coaches, elevating team performance in a lean structure These qualities make the “Super IC” model an appealing, cost-effective approach for companies that want to achieve more with fewer resources. #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #hiring #2025

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Despite our best efforts building a team, sometimes a new hire just doesn't work out. As design leaders, it's crucial to recognize these situations early and act decisively. Here's what I've learned: 💡 Trust your instincts: If you're seeing consistent feedback about misalignment or performance issues, don't ignore it. 🚫 Avoid the sunk-cost fallacy: It's tempting to keep pushing, but sometimes cutting your losses is the best move for everyone. 🔄 Reflect and learn: Use the experience to improve your hiring process. What did you miss? How can you prevent it next time? The true measure of leadership isn't avoiding mistakes. It’s how you handle them when they happen. What's your experience with hiring challenges? How have you turned these situations into learning opportunities? Check out my latest blog post for the full story and more time-tested tips! https://lnkd.in/gVd5-8XJ #DesignLeadership #HiringTips #LessonsLearned

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I'd argue that design system adoption is going through the typical cycle of novel thought to accepted practice to braindead, box-checking obligation. And this is coming from someone who considers adoption measurement invaluable... There's a lot of detail and qualifications to adoption measurement. Ignoring them turns a valuable health marker into a quota. In our latest episode, Davy Fung and I talk all about adoption, our relationship with it and how use the measure in our work. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/gGy2FSSf #designsystems #podcast #adoption

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I just read Longing for Less: Living with Minimalism by Kyle Chayka, and it got me thinking about the power of minimalism—not just in art and architecture that you hear so much about, but in how we experience the world. Chayka's core message is that minimalism isn't just about reducing clutter—it's about creating space for clarity, intentionality, and deeper meaning... principles that really resonate with me and the UX design discipline. Here are some thoughts looking at Minimalism through the lens of user experience design: https://lnkd.in/gnmJGfyM

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This HBR piece on "The Art of Asking Smarter Questions" struck a chord with my approach to design leadership. It echoes the Six Thinking Hats method, emphasizing structured thinking and diverse viewpoints. In design, asking the right questions fuels breakthroughs. How do you leverage inquiry in your work? #DesignThinking #Innovation #SixThinkingHats #Leadership https://lnkd.in/ettHPN4c

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I had an amazing chat with Sera Tajima on her podcast about modern work life, navigating a design career, being Head of Design of a startup, and living your life with intention. Hope you all enjoy this one, episode below!

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Check out this awesome article written by Jess Sattell, Lynn Hao, and Angelie Herreria- Tagle with help from Sue G. on lessons learned from bringing Spectrum 2 from idea to reality.

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