Top skills that candidates must be able to speak to previous experience in:
"Gap coming up really quick - design system engineer - Flutter skillset a must, Figma nice to have.
"Experienced front end dev that knows the handoff to/from designers."
"Need a person that can go to bat for building our front ends in flutter correctly."
"Someone that can critique specs that come from designers and compare against standards."
Local to PHX preferred, then west coast time zone, but then open beyond that - if it's the right person and they can work west coast.
Key takeaways: • A Design System Engineer is the crucial link between designers and developers, standardizing UI components and design guidelines. • Beyond code and design, DSEs play an active role in quality assurance, documentation, and cross-team collaboration. • Mastery of front-end development languages like Dart/Flutter as well as design tools Figma. • DSEs are instrumental throughout the product development cycle, ensuring design systems are consistently implemented and updated. • Familiarity with version control systems like Git and frameworks like Flutter enhances a DSE's ability to manage and scale design systems effectively. • Bridge the gap to serve designers and engineers more efficiently with our Design System (MDS) and Flutter technology.
Who is a Design System Engineer?
A Design System Engineer ensures a seamless transition from visual concept to functional code.
DSEs curate and maintain the MDS design system, a centralized repository standardizing UI components and design guidelines. They share the responsibility of code with developers and user experience and design principles with the Design Ops team.
DSEs have a broad skill set from design tools and design thinking to writing code (HTML, CSS, and Javascript) and using front-end technologies (Flutter/Dart, React, Vue, Angular, etc.). DSEs are the go-to experts for design system's consistency, component's structure, and cross-team collaboration within a design system team. They keep the design and development workflows cohesive and streamlined.
What Skills Does a Design System Engineer Need?
While the design system engineer is a specialist role, their skill set must be broad to meet the position's multifaceted demands. Here are the hard and soft skills you'll need:
Hard Skills
- Front-End Development: Flutter, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- Frameworks and Libraries: Familiarity with Dart/Flutter
- Version Control: Proficiency in Git is another non-negotiable for tracking and managing design system changes.
- Design Tools: Competency in Figma facilitates collaborating with design teams to create and modify UI components.
- Automated Testing: Skills in Jest, Mocha, or similar testing frameworks guarantee the design system's quality and reliability.
Soft Skills
- Communication skills: Clear articulation of complex technical ideas to designers, developers, and stakeholders makes everyone's life easier.
- Attention to Detail: Minor visual or functional inconsistencies can derail a project. Accuracy is key.
- Problem-Solving: Design systems are complex, requiring an ability to troubleshoot issues swiftly and effectively.
- Collaboration: The role sits at the intersection of design and development; teamwork skills are crucial.
- Time Management: Juggling design, development, and stakeholder meetings means strong organizational skills are essential.