Making the library web design process more collaborative // A case study using Figma to develop strategy-focused web solutions
At a time when libraries are doing ambitious digital work, it’s deeply rewarding to shape the tools that share those stories. This session explores how one public library began building a lightweight design library in Figma, focused on reusable page patterns, motion guidelines, and shared documentation.
What started as a way to bring visual consistency to projects evolved into a pattern-based workflow that mirrors real WordPress block structures. By aligning Figma components directly with Gutenberg patterns, the team moved beyond static mockups toward layouts that can be copied, pasted, and deployed.
This shift transformed the process. Staff without coding expertise can participate meaningfully in page composition and strategy, while developers maintain structural consistency. Instead of design being a handoff, it becomes a shared system.
The session includes a short demo of this Figma “sandbox” in action, showing how visual composition can translate directly into production-ready layouts. Part case study and part practical workflow, it’s a reflection on how small structural changes can make library web design more collaborative, less intimidating, and more sustainable.
