A Dev’s Guide

Developers make open source tools that are used by everyone, but rarely does design factor into these projects. If open source software is struggling to connect with and serve users, human-centered design can help.

As designers, we employ a practice of strategies, methods, and activities to incorporate users’ experiences into the software that we work on. These practices are created, used, and improved by designers. Developers and designers need help understanding each other and working together.

With some open source vocabulary and knowledge, we set out to translate design methods for a developer audience, relying on our own experience and collecting the expertise of designers and developers alike.

Our goal is that developers gain exposure to, understanding of, and practice in design practices. With more comfort and willingness to incorporate design, its practices are more likely to be embedded in open source development roadmaps. The result is more human-centered open source tools that bring in user voices.

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drafting

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nuts

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