Case Studies

In this chapter, we'll look at real examples of design work in open source projects. These case studies will help you see how the ideas we've talked about work in practice.

Case Study 1: Mozilla's Open Design Process for Logo Redesign

Background: In 2016, Mozilla, the non-profit organization behind Firefox, decided to refresh its brand identity. Instead of following a traditional closed design process, they opted for an open approach, aligning with their commitment to openness and transparency.

Design Challenge: Create a new visual identity that reflects Mozilla's values and mission while engaging the community in the design process.

Process:

1. Open Ideation: Mozilla publicly announced their rebranding project and invited designers worldwide to share ideas and concepts.
2. Transparent Process: They created a dedicated website to document and share every step of the design process.
3. Community Engagement: Mozilla shared design concepts at various stages and actively sought feedback from their community through blog posts, social media, and dedicated forums.
4. Iterative Design: Based on community feedback, the design team refined and evolved their concepts, sharing updates regularly.
5. Design Workshops: Mozilla hosted open design workshops where community members could contribute ideas and critique proposed designs.
6. Final Decision: While the final decision was made by Mozilla's internal team, they provided a detailed explanation of their choice, acknowledging community input.

Outcome: The new logo and brand identity were launched in January 2017. The design featured a bold "moz://a" wordmark, playfully incorporating both the organization's name and a nod to URL structure.

Lessons:

• Open design can generate a wealth of ideas and perspectives that might not emerge in a closed process.
• Transparency builds trust and engagement with the community.
• Balancing community input with professional design expertise is crucial.
• Open design processes can take longer but can result in a final product that has broader acceptance and understanding.
• Clear communication throughout the process is essential to manage expectations and maintain community engagement.

This case study demonstrates how even large-scale branding projects can benefit from an open design approach, fostering community engagement and aligning with open source values.

Case Study 2: Improving Usability in Git

Git, the popular version control system, is known for its power but also for being hard to use.

Background: Git was created for developers and initially had a very technical interface.

Design Challenge: Make Git more accessible to non-technical users and new developers without losing its powerful features.

Process:

1. The community identified common pain points through user feedback and surveys.
2. Designers worked on improving the command-line interface, making error messages more helpful and commands more intuitive.
3. The project also supported the development of graphical interfaces for Git, like GitKraken and GitHub Desktop.
4. Documentation was improved with more examples and clearer explanations.

Outcome: While Git is still complex, these changes have made it more approachable. The improved documentation and GUI tools have helped many new users get started with version control.

Lessons:

• Even highly technical tools can benefit from good design.
• Improving documentation is a crucial part of UX in open source projects.
• Supporting ecosystem tools (like GUIs) can help make a project more accessible.

Case Study 3: Designing for Accessibility in WordPress

WordPress powers a large percentage of the web, making its accessibility crucial.

Background: WordPress has a diverse user base, including many users with disabilities.

Design Challenge: Ensure that both the WordPress admin interface and themes are accessible to all users.

Process:

1. The WordPress Accessibility Team was formed to focus on these issues.
2. They created accessibility coding standards and design guidelines.
3. Regular accessibility audits were conducted on new features and updates.
4. The team worked on making the default themes fully accessible, serving as examples for the community.
5. They added features like keyboard navigation and screen reader text to the core platform.

Outcome: WordPress has significantly improved its accessibility over the years. This benefits not just WordPress users, but potentially millions of websites built with WordPress.

Lessons:

• Accessibility needs ongoing attention; it's not a one-time fix.
• Having a dedicated team can help keep accessibility a priority.
• Creating accessible defaults and examples encourages the whole ecosystem to be more accessible.

Case Study 4: User-Centered Design in Elementary OS

Elementary OS is a Linux distribution known for its focus on design and user experience.

Background: Many Linux distributions prioritize functionality over user-friendliness. Elementary OS aimed to create a beautiful, easy-to-use operating system.

Design Challenge: Create a consistent, intuitive interface for a full operating system, making Linux accessible to a broader audience.

Process:

1. The team established a clear design philosophy focusing on simplicity and consistency.
2. They created detailed Human Interface Guidelines to ensure all apps follow the same design principles.
3. They designed custom icons and a cohesive visual language for the entire system.
4. The team regularly sought feedback from users, particularly those new to Linux.
5. They weren't afraid to redesign core apps and interfaces to improve usability.

Outcome: Elementary OS has gained a reputation for being one of the most user-friendly and visually appealing Linux distributions.

Lessons:

• A strong design vision can set an open source project apart.
• Detailed design guidelines help create a consistent experience across a large project.
• Sometimes, it's okay to break from tradition to improve user experience.

Case Study 5: Collaborative Design in Fedora

Fedora is a popular Linux distribution with a large, diverse community.

Background: Fedora releases new versions regularly and caters to a wide range of users, from beginners to advanced developers.

Design Challenge: Manage design contributions from a diverse community while maintaining a consistent user experience.

Process:

1. Fedora created a dedicated Design Team to oversee visual and UX design.
2. They use open tools and processes, doing most design work on the public Fedora Design GitHub repository.
3. The team created a comprehensive Fedora Visual Identity Guide.
4. They use a ticket system for design requests, allowing anyone in the community to contribute.
5. Regular design team meetings are held openly, with minutes published for all to see.

Outcome: Fedora has maintained a consistent brand and user experience despite its rapid release cycle and large contributor base.

Lessons:

• Open, transparent processes can help manage design in large, diverse projects.
• A dedicated design team can provide direction and consistency in community-driven projects.
• Using the same tools and processes as developers (like GitHub) can help integrate design into the overall project workflow.

Conclusion

These case studies show how open source projects have tackled real-world design challenges. They demonstrate that good design is possible in open source, whether you're working on a browser used by millions, a developer tool, or an entire operating system.

Key takeaways:

1. User research and feedback are crucial in open source design.
2. Consistent design languages and guidelines are important, especially in large projects.
3. Accessibility and usability should be ongoing priorities.
4. Open, collaborative processes can lead to great design outcomes.
5. Sometimes, big changes are necessary to significantly improve user experience.

As you contribute to open source projects, keep these examples in mind. They show that with dedication, collaboration, and user-focused thinking, open source design can create software that's not just powerful, but also a joy to use.