Time to stack what truly matters
Thank you 2024
Dear all 😊
Design systems teach us something funny about life. We spend all this time creating order, defining rules, and building components that fit together just right. But the patterns that matter most aren’t in Figma or code – they’re in how we live.
So, it is time to stack what truly matters: the connections that make us whole. Forget design tokens for a while. 😅
What Made My 2024
💞 Family. They’re the real system I rely on every day.
🐕 Pixel, our dog, my assistant for getting enough vitamin “nature.”
🤩 A talk with Sam Gordashko at the Into Design Systems Conference about naming design tokens—so much fun. Also, the conference streaming with the whole IDS crew is always epic and gives me so much joy.
💎I launched my first product this year: The Ultimate Airtable Guide. Honestly? I didn’t expect it to take off the way it did. But it did. And it’s lit a fire in me to create more. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who bought it. 🙏
📹 Another big leap? Recording interviews. I’ve always been camera-shy, but I decided to try. Sharing conversations with design system experts has been worth every awkward moment. 😂
❤️ I am very grateful to know, collaborate, talk, or connect online with Joao, Mojca, Polona, Mišo, Sil, Sam, Andressa, Marco, Justine, Alexander, Philip, Ariel, Raqel, Tiago, Ozan, Vitaly, Nick, David, Marta, Diana, Adham, Elizabeth, Thijs, Stephanie, PJ, Davy, Pelin, Elliot, Michelle, Stephanie, Mike, and the whole DS community.
Lessons I’m Taking Into 2025
Disconnect to connect.
Do the thing that scares you.
Bad days happen. It’s normal.
You can’t plan everything.
Gratitude changes everything.
Make time for the people who matter.
Go outside more. It’s where life happens.
Your path: 2025 🫶
In the new year, wherever you roam,
don’t let anyone block your way home.
Not gossip, drama, motherly pleas,
treasure hunts lost to forgotten seas.
Not a partner who weighs their worth in your pain,
nor the voice that whispers, “You’ll fail again.”
Let no one steal the wind in your sails,
the force that drives your boldest trails.
Wander the world, let your compass steer,
your soul’s the shore, it’s always near.
In skies of blue, find your hue,
a quiet place made just for you.
Thank you for reading, for supporting me, and for being here.
Wishing you joy and the courage to step into the unknown.
Stay awesome ❤️
Romina
PS. The next newsletter will be published on the 3rd of January.
💎 Community Gems
Designing design systems: Supporting implementation and adoption
by Adobe
🔗 Link
Top 15 design systems in 2024
My selection
🔗 Link
📹 Phillip Lovelace (Kajabi) - Rebranding and Web Components
If you missed the latest episode.
🔗 Link
