Luma

Quick Reference Guide

You've conceived an idea; now, write its rule book. A Quick Reference Guide keeps your design consistent from start to finish. Clarity is key. This guide puts style, form, and conventions in one place. It's easy to grasp but thorough enough for various people. I've seen these guides prevent countless design misunderstandings over the years.

Duration
3 hours
Group Size
3-5
Category
Luma
Difficulty
Easy
Summarize the design rationale.

  • A quick reference guide that documents key information.

  • An accessible summary for users.

  • Improved information access.

Design intent fades over time. Documentation prevents misunderstandings. Aim for a 2-4 page guide covering 90% of use cases. Show bad implementations with screenshots. People remember failures. Update the guide with every design change and schedule quarterly reviews. The designer should draft it; someone else should edit it. Figma, Notion, Confluence, Storybook, and PDFs are good format options.

  1. Identify What Needs Documenting (15 minutes): Review your design system, component library, or new feature. What will someone need to know in six months when you're unavailable? Focus on misused components, edge cases, and the 'why' behind decisions.

  2. Gather Your Materials (20 minutes): Collect existing materials: design files, Slack threads, code comments, and screenshots. Don't start from scratch.

  3. Structure Your Guide (30 minutes): Create sections for: 'When to use this' (the problem it solves), 'Anatomy' (labeled diagrams), 'Variations' (states/sizes), 'Do/Don't' (visual examples), and 'Specs' (spacing, colors, typography).

  4. Write Like You're Explaining to a New Hire (60 minutes): Assume the reader is smart but lacks context. Use screenshots. Highlight common mistakes. I find this step is often underestimated; clear writing is crucial.

  5. Test It (30 minutes): Have someone unfamiliar with the design use the guide to implement it. Identify areas of confusion and edit accordingly. This reveals gaps you didn't know existed.

  6. Make It Findable (15 minutes): Place the guide where people look: design system site, Confluence, or Notion. A perfect guide is useless if no one can find it.

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  • Complete pre-session survey
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  • Prepare examples or case studies

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