Documentation

Many of the sites I create are based on a Design System. One of the major considerations for handoff is how the client will continue to implement it once I've moved on.

I've found the easiest patterns to misuse are those within long form narratives and product descriptions. This, despite the simple recommendation to let the content dictate the pattern.

In comes documentation. Along with every design system I handoff, I provide just enough documentation to help determine when to use a pattern, followed by recommendations on how to use that pattern.

The struggle (and its real) is to provide just enough documentation to advise without overcomplicating. You'll never be able to document every exception, so don't try. Like with ever rule, sometimes they need to be broken. If you find yourself breaking the same rule consistently, maybe its time to re-evaluate the pattern or create a new one.

I use and recommend the new Google Sites for documentation for its layout flexibility, out-of-the-box responsiveness, collaboration, and ownership transfer.

For more reading on Design Pattens, I highly recommend Nathan Curtis's post Patterns ≠ Components.