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  • Full: Episode 066 of The Question with Ben Callahan & Laura Kalbag on The Design System Learning Curve

    Full: Episode 066 of The Question with Ben Callahan & Laura Kalbag on The Design System Learning Curve
    Jan 18 2026
    The Question Episode 066: The Design System Learning Curve with Ben Callahan & Laura KalbagBen and Laura lead the community through a conversation about how people learn design systems, revealing that 75% feel qualified despite most being self-taught. The discussion explores whether the field needs W3C-style industry standards, with answers nearly evenly split between yes, no, and other. Community members share insights on multidisciplinary backgrounds, the value of peers and mentorship, the challenge of articulating shared problems and values across organizations, and the tension between standardization and meeting teams where they are.Introduction to Design Systems (00:00)- Welcome and overview of the episode topic- Ben introduces Laura Kalbag as co-host- Laura's background as designer-developer with accessibility expertise- Early adoption of design systems (writing about them since 2012)- Current work with Penpot on educational materials- Book: Accessibility for Everyone (going free online with audiobook)Exploring the Design System Learning Curve (00:00)- How The Question works: survey format and community participation- 77 responses from 1,025 practitioners- Four key questions about learning and industry standards- First question results: Do you feel qualified? (75% yes, 17% no, 8% other)- Themes: constant references to peers, mentorship, and multidisciplinary backgrounds- Standards question showing nearly even split (yes/no/other)Engaging with the Community: Collaborative Learning (05:16)- Laura's opening question: Where would you tell a new designer to start?- Christine: Point to thought leaders (Brad Frost, Dan Mall, Jina Anne, Nathan Curtis)- Recommendation to work in product/UX roles first before systems- Importance of systems thinking - looking at things holistically- Ismael: Value of product management skills and understanding users- Learning HTML/CSS fundamentals, semantic structure, and inheritance- Laura: HTML as accessible starting point for newcomersMentorship and Guidance in Design Systems (08:57)- Greg: "The people who see systems are the ones who make them"- Systems thinking as natural progression for some practitioners- Learning from industry leaders but adapting to your specific context- Disclaimer needed: what works for IBM or Spotify may not work for you- Guy: Ask "why" someone wants to get into design systems first- Understanding the process, not just copying outputs- Risk of burnout from always seeing systems and implications- Danger of over-codifying and creating restrictive structuresUnderstanding Your Motivation for Design Systems (17:52)- Different aspects: code, coordination, fame, specific challenges- Tailoring guidance based on individual motivations and goals- Jeremy Keith quote: Design system doc sites are like social media (only show the good)The Unique Nature of Your Design System (18:21)- Austin: Working at Bass Pro Shops vs. big tech companies- Challenge of resources not fitting organizational context- Greg: "Be happy you don't have their problems"- Looking at intricate systems born from problems you don't have- Blessing of not needing those complex solutions- Focus on the problems that are unique to your usersEmbedding Values in Design Systems (20:12)- Laura: We embed our values in the design systems we create- Risk of copying big tech values that don't align with your mission- Small Technology Foundation example: creating alternatives to big tech- Question: Are you taking on values that don't represent your product?Imposter Syndrome in Design Systems (21:08)- Greg: First time experiencing true imposter syndrome in nearly two decades- Reading industry masters and feeling inadequate- Redwoods community response: appreciate not having their problems- Shift in perspective about own work in the space- Focus on what you can do that's more interesting for your usersIdentifying Gaps in Design System Learning (24:44)- Christine: Communication between teams as huge blind spot- Building systems with one product in mind defeats the purpose- Style guides vs. true systems serving multiple products- Need for people at all skill levels to share their learning- Missing links in the learning chain- Everyone has responsibility to share what they're learningThe Importance of Change Management (26:34)- Yesenia: Change management as biggest success or failure factor- Getting people to change what they're doing- Adapting communication to organizational context- Relationship-driven vs. storytelling-driven organizations- Mismatch in communication styles leads to failure- Book recommendation: Switch by Chip and Dan Heath- Not trained in change management but must do it anywayThe People Side of Design Systems (29:32)- Little focus on people side in survey responses- Austin's revelation: "This is about people" shifted everything- Meet people where they're at instead of holding meetings no one attends- Attend their standups and see how design system can help- Laura: Tooling companies ...
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    55 min
  • Recap: Episode 066 of The Question with Ben Callahan & Laura Kalbag on The Design System Learning Curve

    Recap: Episode 066 of The Question with Ben Callahan & Laura Kalbag on The Design System Learning Curve
    Jan 16 2026

    Episode 66 Recap: The Design System Learning Curve with Ben Callahan and Laura Kalbag

    Ben and Laura unpack the episode 066 deep dive conversation on how people learn design systems, exploring why imposter syndrome is so prevalent in this space, the challenges of being self-taught in a field with no formal education path, and how the community might create better learning resources and pathways for newcomers.

    Topics
    Imposter syndrome and qualification (00:00-06:12)
    - Do people feel qualified as design system specialists?
    - Connection between self-taught learning and lack of confidence
    - Systems thinkers: "The people who see systems are the ones who make them"

    Learning paths and skills development (06:12-09:00)
    - How practitioners learned: scrappy, experimental, self-taught
    - Value of working in other roles first (product design, development, product management)
    - Design systems as increasingly broad field requiring specialization

    Systems thinking benefits and challenges (07:23-09:00)
    - Risk of burnout from always seeing systems
    - Danger of over-codifying and creating restrictive structures
    - Managing your systems brain

    Community learning and resources (16:39-20:52)
    - Challenge of finding good information amid AI-generated content
    - Value of human connection and community curation
    - Potential for gathering trusted resources rather than top-down standards

    Academic vs. practical preparation (16:39-18:28)
    - Gap between art school confidence and professional readiness
    - Sparkbox's apprenticeship program: paid 6-month positions to bridge the gap
    - Creating materials for professional practice, not just theory

    AI's impact on learning and entry positions (18:28-19:54)
    - Difficulty finding trustworthy information
    - Machines talking to machines with no human wisdom
    - Entry-level positions being impacted

    The unique moment we're in (21:46-22:34)
    - Early design system practitioners now in leadership roles
    - Potential for more fertile soil with leaders who understand the work
    - Question: how do we build the pipeline?

    Standardization and community resources (21:04-21:46)
    - Building on existing HTML patterns
    - Brad Frost's global design system concept
    - Component galleries and shared understanding

    Resources
    - Recap of Episode 055 with Lauren LoPrete on Managing your Systems Brain
    - To Be a Leader of Systems by Hazel Weakly
    - Ben on LinkedIn
    - Laura on LinkedIn
    - Get The Question in your Inbox
    - Redwoods Design System Community
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    24 min