The podcast discusses the UI Suite initiative in Drupal, its benefits for themers and site builders, and its division of work between developers. They also explore a contrib module for drop down menus, improving accessibility, and the functionality and configuration options of Drupal menus. The hosts highlight the advantages of implementing design systems and discuss handling updates and deprecations. They provide information on reaching out to the podcast and contacting the hosts about the UI Suite.
UI Suite Initiative aims to streamline design system implementation in Drupal and consolidate the ecosystem for easier adoption and management across projects.
Implementing UI Suite shifts responsibilities among team members, with backend developers benefiting from reduced workload and frontend developers taking on the role of providers for more efficient design implementation.
Deep dives
UI Suite Initiative: A Consolidated Approach to Design Systems
The UI Suite Initiative aims to streamline the implementation of design systems in Drupal. With independent modules addressing specific aspects of design systems, UI Suite allows frontend developers to provide a complete design implementation that can be easily leveraged by backend developers. By consolidating the ecosystem, UI Suite simplifies the adoption and management of design systems across multiple projects. The initiative also focuses on the upcoming componentization feature, which will bring even more flexibility and efficiency to design system implementation. The UI Suite community welcomes contributors and offers regular monthly meetings and a dedicated Slack channel for collaboration.
Implementing UI Suite: A Shift in Responsibilities
Implementing UI Suite includes a shift in responsibilities among team members. Backend developers benefit from a reduced workload, as UI Suite handles the integration between frontend and backend components. Frontend developers take on the role of providers, implementing the design system using configurable plugins. This ownership allows for smoother collaboration with the design team and results in more efficient design implementation. Site builders play a key role in maintaining and evolving the design system across projects, focusing on reusability and customization. While UI Suite introduces some initial effort, the long-term benefits and efficiency gains make it an appealing approach for projects of all sizes.
Roadmap and Future Plans for UI Suite
The UI Suite community has a roadmap that includes several upcoming developments. The next major project is UI Pattern 2, which will leverage the upcoming componentization feature in Drupal. UI Pattern 2 aims to consolidate the ecosystem, simplifying the user experience and enhancing usability. The community also plans to address artifact management, specifically focusing on icons and icon sets. The ultimate goal of UI Suite is to have key features integrated into Drupal Core, promoting a standardized and efficient approach to design system implementation.
Involvement and Collaboration Opportunities
The UI Suite community encourages involvement and collaboration from the Drupal community. Those interested can join the UI-suite-initiative Slack channel, which has a vibrant community of contributors. Monthly meetings provide opportunities to engage with other contributors and discuss new ideas or challenges. Additionally, the community organizes a yearly seaside camp, offering hands-on collaboration and strategic planning. The UI Suite community welcomes contributors at all levels and invites individuals to get involved in shaping the future of design system implementation in Drupal.
Today we are talking about web design and development, from a group of people with one thing in common… We love Drupal. This is episode #435 UI Suite initiative.