Design System Day events
Design System Day is the GOV.UK Design System’s flagship event.
It’s an opportunity to collaborate and share knowledge about design systems with like-minded people, covering topics like accessibility, community and decision-making. It’s a space for anyone using design systems in government to share ideas and developments, learn from colleagues, and spark conversations.
What’s next for Design System Day
We’ve decided to pause Design System Day for the time being.
Over the five years we’ve held Design System Day, we’ve seen it grow into one of the largest design events in government. At the same time, the work to organise Design System Day throughout the year also placed ever-increasing resource and time demands on our multidisciplinary team.
Meanwhile, we’ve seen our events lose some of their focus and turn into broader design events, rather than just about design systems, due to well-intentioned efforts to meet popular demand and fill gaps left elsewhere.
Based on this, we’ve decided to take the time to reflect on our next steps.
Watch talks from past Design System Day events
We’ve welcomed user-centered design professionals from across the wider government community on to our stage. You can watch some of our keynote talks and panel discussions from past events on the GOV.UK YouTube channel.
Building conscious design systems (video)
Amy Hupe, a UK-based design systems and content design consultant, speaks about building conscious design systems.
Accessibility in design systems (video)
A panel across the UK civil service, broader public sector and private sector organisations explore the intersection between accessibility and design systems.
Design systems don’t solve problems, people do (video)
Tash Willcocks, Design lead at TPXImpact, discussed the intricate relationship between people and design systems. From user feedback, ownership, to the organisation’s context, she delved into the dynamic interplay that defines modern design practices.
The impact of research operations when conducting user research at scale (video)
Rachel Male, Scottish Government, talks about how she created a research operations unit that refined processes and added critical value when the team suddenly scaled.
Reflections on creating the Scottish Government Digital Design System (video)
The Scottish Government’s Head of Design, Samantha Ernstzen, and Design System Product Owner, Jennifer I’Anson, reflect on creating the Scottish Government Digital Design System.
How design systems manage contributions (video)
A panel of designers and developers across the private and public sector talk about how they prioritise contributions and work with their communities to make the process effective and rewarding for contributors and design system curators.
Trauma-informed research and design (video)
A multidisciplinary panel and colleagues across the public and private sector talk about their work towards trauma-informed approaches to research and design.
Need help?
If you’ve got a question about the GOV.UK Design System, contact the team.