EPIC: Prototype kit known improvements

[karlgoldstraw]

What

There is a need to continual develop the prototype kit to ensure it is in line with the latest development practices. This EPIC is to allow some concentrated effort to review improvements for the prototype kit.

Originates from

#1062

Why

Without continuous development the prototype will lose its value as a critical resource for designers and developers.

Must

• Prototype kit: Review Gitpod documentation and test with users bound by admin rights #1391
• Prototype kit: map the disparities between it and the frontend library #1399
• Prototype kit: Improve guidance around sharing prototypes, and using Github #1425
• Prototype kit: Aligning with other design systems #1396
• Prototype kit: Running multiple kits on same machine nhsuk-prototype-kit#392
• Prototype kit: Improve guidance around branching #1417
• Prototype kit: Improve guidance around passing of data #1418

Could

• Prototype kit: Further encourage community contribution #1397
• Prototype kit: mobile views of components and patterns #1398
• Prototype kit: Standardise visual versioning #1401
• Prototype kit: How can we help users be more confident with prototype customisation? #1419
• Prototype kit: Improve the findability of the How to guidance #1420
• Prototype kit: Expand the guidance topics and detail #1421

[karlgoldstraw]

In an NHS design huddle dated 8 July 2021, @GrilloPress asked a bunch of people some questions about prototyping, and the prototype kit. https://app.mural.co/t/nhsdigital8118/m/nhsdigital8118/1625739641256/3ebd113110bdae75709c07fcc5b0412581c32061?sender=karlgoldstraw0227

[Tosin-Balogun]

What

On 3rd of August, two interaction designers asked for help with the prototype kit. Due to an adjacent work for the NHSUK design repo, I decided it was good to documented some of the comments they made while trying to use the kit

Who

• P1: A novice designer who switched from visual design into interaction design working for NHS England on the Learning Hub
• P2: An interaction designer working on digital transformation of screening

Feedback

P1: “Do you guys have a video tutorial I can follow”
Because they could not use the guidance on the kit properly

P2: “You cannot find where everything is, and you get frustrated and give up”
“If all you want to is use a template and add components, its fine but when you want to do anything different”
“There was nunjucks at the top, I didnt know what to do”
“I understand normal css, but I don’t know where to do it here”
“I cannot just add a navigation bar to the template. It just wasn’t having it”
“Mentally, I just gave up”
“I dont want to make frankenstein code, because I want to do it proper for the devs”
“I don’t know if others have gotten so used to it, they talk about it like its so easy to do”