Acknowledgments

Writing a book had always been a “someday” goal for me, but I never would have written this without the encouragement of Katel LeDû. Thank you for believing in me.

Lisa Maria Marquis was my editor—an amazing partner in this process who helped me shape my thoughts into a clear narrative, pushed me to write more words, and patiently talked through concepts with me. This book is a million times better because of you.

Thank you to Caren Litherland for the editing, feedback, and skillful wordsmithing.

To Sophie Shepherd, Katie Kovalcin, and Alison Harshbarger: thank you for the feedback, encouragement, and support throughout this entire process. I cherish our friendship. Let’s plan an actual relaxing vacation now.

I’ve had the privilege to work with some of the brightest minds in the industry at Vox Media and now at Shopify. There are too many of you to name, but I’m so grateful for the opportunity to learn, grow, and make mistakes with you.

Maya Benari, Ben Lister, and Paul Murphy generously shared their experience and insights in my early research for this book. Thank you!

To Nicole Sullivan, Jina Anne, Mina Markham, and Alla Kholmatova: you’ve all been profound influences on how I think about design systems. The design systems community is indebted to the work that you’ve all done.

To my family: thank you for your endless support and love, for teaching me to work hard but also reminding me to laugh. Everything I do is for you.

To my husband, Justin: writing a book while working a full-time job meant that you didn’t get to see very much of me for nearly a year, or when you did see me, I was very, very stressed. Thank you for being patient and supportive throughout. I love you!