Replies: 7 comments
-
|
Q: Are there any updates on the videos being posted on YouTube from the previous monthly calls? A: We took a break in July, but videos from the August monthly call and September monthly call were posted recently. Older videos are also available on our Monthly calls page. |
Beta Was this translation helpful? Give feedback.
-
|
Q: The team mentioned lowering the barriers to contribution to the design system. Can you give some specific examples of things the USWDS team is doing to help designers contribute? A: We recently introduced a process to propose new components, and opened component proposal discussions to encourage folks to contribute. We're also working on how you can propose new patterns and participate in other ways, including how you might share research you're doing, and if a category of experimental components might be a way to share what you're building. |
Beta Was this translation helpful? Give feedback.
-
|
Q: Can you expand on "Accessibility not disappearing" as part of the “Support UX with developer experience” value? A: Embracing accessibility is one of our fundamental design principles. We want to build products that give designers and developers good tools to easily support accessible solutions in the work they do. The point we make about "accessibility not disappearing" is the distinction between "I don't have to think about accessibility" and "I don't think about accessibility." Accessibility has to be a design muscle you use and prevent from atrophying. We support this with our component accessibility checklists — we build accessible solutions into the components we deliver, but we know teams need an easy way to validate that their own specific work remains as accessible as possible. |
Beta Was this translation helpful? Give feedback.
-
|
Q: Do you have any go-to sites that you like to use for 508 color compliance checks? A: There are many free tools out there, but we use the ones the feds recommend. The DHS Trusted Tester training instructs students to use Colour Contrast Analyzer to check for contrast compliance, along with the color contrast checker module in ANDI. Section 508 also encourages testers to use Colour Contrast Analyzer and has a training video as a guide. |
Beta Was this translation helpful? Give feedback.
-
|
Q: Can you elaborate on using CSS custom properties as opposed to Sass variables for web components? How do you plan to integrate or reuse existing USWDS Sass? A: CSS custom properties, also known as CSS variables, will allow users to theme USWDS Web Components without requiring the additional step of compiling Sass. Similar existing theme settings should be available with custom properties. |
Beta Was this translation helpful? Give feedback.
-
|
Q: When you do usability testing, how do you make sure several disabilities are represented? A: We work directly with various organizations that represent and support people from different disability groups and invite them to join our research participant panel. So far, we've successfully included people with visual disabilities, motor disabilities, and neurodiverse individuals (such as folks with ADHD) in our usability testing. We’ve also partnered with GSA's Voice of the Public program to recruit participants with disabilities. |
Beta Was this translation helpful? Give feedback.
-
|
Q: How long will older versions of USWDS be supported as newer versions are released? Some agencies were slow to adopt USWDS and they will be slow to update to the latest version. How are you supporting agencies who may struggle with updating a site from an older to newer version of the framework? A: In the past we’ve supported older versions with security updates for two years before officially retiring them. We’ll continue to support USWDS 3 and traditional HTML/CSS as we move forward into Web Components and custom elements. As both USWDS Web Components and the traditional codebase evolve and mature, we'll try to keep changes small — not too many changes at once. We'll try to change incrementally and we recommend that teams update incrementally. We take a lot of care to not introduce breaking changes without clear communication and extensive documentation. We also provide support across several channels, like Slack, email, GitHub Discussions, and consults for teams who need additional support. |
Beta Was this translation helpful? Give feedback.
-
The October 2024 monthly call featured a discussion with the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) team leads about product and engineering values. To frame the discussion, USWDS Experience Design Lead Anne Petersen examined how the design system’s product and design principles have evolved over the nine year history of USWDS. USWDS Product Lead Dan Williams and USWDS Engineering Lead Matt Henry then presented a set of new engineering values and revised product values, and discussed how they will guide decision-making about USWDS Web Components and the development of the design system.
If you don’t see your question from the October call, feel free to discuss further here. If anything changes after the call, we indicate that with a date.
Questions from the October 2024 monthly call
Beta Was this translation helpful? Give feedback.
All reactions