Problem
Due to a department reorg, we had a plethora of designers that would begin designing for native. Most of these designers had little experience designing for native, especially Android.
Action
Working very quickly, I built out the EASE Android Sketch UI Library. I took the approach to provide as much of the UI components as possible, making each component editable to accommodate the variations between the four lines of business. I started out created symbols at the “molecule” level and then used those to create “organisms.” As I did this, I would then use these components to build out example screens. This allowed me to become a user of the library as I was building it so that I could easily and quickly identify any flaws in my thinking or execution.
I wanted to enable designers to quickly drag and drop UI elements into a sketch file to build out full flows, making customizations along the way. I ensured that each component had all available variations for all the line of businesses. This put more work on me, but would save designers valuable time as well as empowering them on an unfamiliar platform.
Results
Well over 100 designers consumed the UI Kit. It streamlined their process and allowed them to design much more quickly. I conducted “Android bootcamp” training to evangelize Material Design principals, how to use the guidelines as a resource and when to ask for help.
Skills
- Design systems
- Design strategy
- Personas
- Ops/process
- Sketch
Library Feedback
Kim’s been a rock in the knowledge and execution of the UI Libraries. Her lengthly tenure in design is apparent with her solid judgment when it comes to design decisions such as spacing, typography, and layout. Her feedback is nested in rhetoric that relays trust to the recipient.
The impact of her work will have a lasting effect in EASE. Android looks how it is is because of Kim, and now our Designers will interact and design with our UI Libraries because of how she’s set them up.
~ User, Android Sketch UI Library