A resource for branding, design and development work on lifefiles

A comprehensive guide to LifeFiles' MVP Design System

Which one do You need to learn more about?

I care about design

Welcome. This entire design system was built for you.

Visit the style guide to help familiarize yourself with some of the guidelines around typography, color, layout and the grid system that brought you LifeFiles' MVP! Or, visit our components library by downloading the XD Master FIles.

Visit our components library

HTML SEMANTICS

CLASS CODE: H15

I care about development

Ok. You're here to write code. Your best resource is the Github page. Here, you'll find the source code and a plethora of documentation that explains it.

However, if you're here to grab components and plug them into the code, you can visit our components library embedded within the Master Files that brought you LifeFiles.

Visit our Zeplin Components library

I care about branding

Great. So you're here to learn more about LifeFiles as a brand.

If you want to know about LifeFiles, its logo, mission and ethos, click below to see our brand book!

See the official LifeFiles Brand Book

Who is this for?

This guide is for scrappy designers, front-end devs and other product workflow hackers. The purpose of this design system is to serve as a catalyst for product development as the platforms grows and scales from MVP to launch.

UI/UX Designers

Will find a plethora of guidelines, pointers, rules and specifications for design elemnts such as layout, typography and color.

Front-end Developers

Will find a useful collection of icons, as well as a component library and general UI design rules.

Quality Assurance Specialists

Will find valuable resources around accessibility, privacy and the general information architecture of the platform.

STEP 01

Find what's useful to you!

This design system serves an exhaustive compendium of design artifacts and guidelines. Its holistic and broad-reaching nature means not everything will be useful to your particular role, but feel free to browse and pick the things that can help you with your workflow.

Why does this matter?

Easier communication

It's easier for a team to work together if you've got access to the same research, assets and tools. This is a good way to familiarize yourself with LifeFiles together.

Easier replication

No need to start from scratch. This design system includes a component library that packages every single piece of the platform in specific components you can iterate, and build upon.

Accelerated workflow

Why spend 20 minutes looking for a specific icon if you can keep them all here? This is a compendium meant to gather all artifacts in one place so you can focus on what matters... maintaining and improving LifeFiles!

STEP 02

Review, learn & use

Once you find the bits that are good to your particular task, review the materials attached and take some time to learn relevant guidelines. Then download your asset and accelerate your workflow!

And always feel free to reach out...

This design system was designed and built by me! If you need any assistance using it, or you'd like help pushing updates to this site, please reach out to me at p.portilladv@gmail.com

I'm happy to help the project continue to evolve and succeed.

STEP 03

Iterate, redesign and polish!

This design system is built with Webflow, but its component library is housed in other softwares; it exists in Zeplin and
‍Adobe XD. Feel free to keep this site as a visual reference, and build upon these existing software libraries!

FAQs

Let's answer some questions.

How should I pitch or describe LifeFiles?

Generally, you can describe LifeFiles in the following way: 'LifeFiles is a secure document storage platform that allows people to upload, store, and share their documents digitally. It also facilitates digital document notarization. We designed, built, and tested it with people experiencing homelessness to help facilitate access to services.'

What is an MVP?

MVP refers to minimum-viable-product. This design system is built for the context and specifications of LifeFiles MVP state. Our definition of MVP for the purpose of product development of LifeFiles is as follows:

MVP is achieved when the platform is minimally fully functional, in that users can accomplish all of the core platform functions (log on, upload, store, share) at their most basic state, now and in the future. Expansion of the core features, new features, security (beyond core design) and stress tests will all come later. This phase shows that the backbone of the platform is functional and minimally usable. This also, in part, represents what we are required to deliver for the grant.

What comes after MVP?

After MVP comes comes Alpha, which is the software development stage LifeFiles is currently in. It is al imited release of the platform with a select partner.

Alpha (learning launch / pilot) is achieved when the platform is at a state of functionality where it allows real users (owners, helpers, admins) to perform the basic functions. A partner organization (e.g. TOOF) pilots the platform with a limited number of users (~20) to determine real world desirability, UX issues,performance issues, and necessary feature adjustments. This organization isonboared manually by the LifeFiles team. User onboarding should be able to be accomplished by the admin or by users themselves, and not need assistance from the MyPass team (however the team will know when users are being onboarded). All core user actions must function completely and correctly in their basic state such that they do not require assistance to use. UX consistently allows users to perform all possible tasks without assistance. Because there is a partner organization,all basic admin features are fully functional and do not require assistance to use. Maintenance is available as needed.

What comes after Alpha?

After Alpha comes Beta. Our Beta launch will be a broader release of the platform with volunteer beta testers. Users can be approved or can simply accept terms of beta functionality. The purpose is to monitor usage and react to passive signals and active feedback. The goal is to increase the stability and value of the app based on signals of use. The focus of beta testing is reducing impacts to users of any known or unknown bugs.

When will you launch?

Right now we're focused on 'Alpha' deployment of the platform with key partners. Our intention is to start small and scale in a tightly regulated pace. The sensitive nature of documents also makes has some serious privacy and security implications which means a lot of stability, performance and security tests we need to run to ensure everything is running as intended. The official public launch date is still to be determined.