What the System Is Trying to Tell You
What you find when you audit a design system you didn't build, and why most of it makes more sense than it looks
You're Not Behind
These past few days have felt like a lot. On top of everything, there's been new tools, strong opinions, and a constant stream of hot takes about what all of this means for design. I shared a short post about it, mostly as a reminder to myself, and
The MCP Tool That's Changing How I Use Figma
Over the past year, I’ve been watching MCP tools quickly make their way into conversations and workflows around design systems. I’ve been really curious, but if I’m being completely honest, I’ve also been a bit intimidated. Our industry moved quickly before the introduction of AI, and
How I Think About Starting With Variables
A Simple Way to Get Unstuck With Variables Happy New Year, everyone! 👋 As I’ve been settling back into work, I’ve been thinking a lot about how teams get started with design systems work, especially when things feel big or intimidating. One area that comes up again and again
Baseline #28 – Buying Back My Time (and What It’s Teaching Me)
Some reflections, a few changes behind the scenes, and what I’m learning about protecting time, trusting others, and building Baseline for the long run. Hello again! 👋 After a little time away from the newsletter and from social media, it feels so good to be sitting down and writing here
Baseline #27 – A Year in Reflection
Hello again! 👋 As the year winds down, I’ve been reflecting on Baseline’s very first full calendar year—what’s gone better than expected, what’s been (much) harder than I imagined, and all of the surprises that came along the way. In this newsletter, I’d love to
Baseline #26 – Staying Focused with Time-blocking
👋 Hello again! When I first went independent last year, I thought I’d finally have full control over my time and schedule—but wow, was I wrong. Instead of feeling free and creative, almost immediately, I actually felt pretty scattered and stressed. The quiet, creative time I had been craving
Baseline #25 – Using Auto Layout in Figma
Hello again! 👋 In this week’s newsletter, I’d love to dive into one of my favorite topics with you: creating responsive and robust components within Figma. For the past eight years of my design career, I’ve spent most of my time working in Figma, partnering with designers and
Baseline #24 – The Scariest Part of Going Independent
Hello again! 👋 When I was deciding if going independent was the right move, I found myself wrestling with what felt like a thousand questions, each carrying both excitement and a steady dose of panic and anxiety. Could I find enough work? Was I really ready to leave the structure of
Baseline #23 – Using Constraints in Figma
Hello again! 👋 Creating a component in Figma? Easy! Creating a component that works with nearly endless screen widths and heights? Well, that’s not as easy. Within this week’s newsletter, I’d love to share one feature within Figma that can help us create responsive designs and components that
Baseline #22 – How I Organize Variables in Figma
Hello again! 👋 This week’s newsletter is all about working with variables in Figma. Now, having been available for just over a year, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about variables, it’s that nearly every team takes a slightly different approach when it comes to creating and
Baseline #21 – The Long Game of Patience
Hello again! 👋 In case you missed it, I’m taking on a challenge I’ve set for myself to begin publishing weekly newsletters, and well, we’re into week two! I’m so glad to have you here, and even more excited to continue sharing all I can about design,