The Designer's Freedom: A New Way to Collaborate
As designers, we love creating in our preferred tools, where we have complete creative freedom. In Uniweb, this freedom takes two distinct forms: designing complete Site Foundations that power websites, and working within existing libraries to bring brand visions to life. Understanding these two roles helps us work more effectively.
Creating Site Foundations
When designing a Site Foundation, you're crafting a complete design system that will power entire websites. This is deep, foundational work where your creativity shapes how organizations communicate online.
Complete Design Systems
A Foundation needs to provide everything a site might need: sophisticated components for every purpose, working together perfectly to maintain design integrity. Each layout, each interaction, each visual element must contribute to a cohesive whole.
Design That Scales
Creating a Foundation means thinking beyond individual components. You're designing a system where every element works together flawlessly. Your hero sections need to complement your feature displays. Your navigation must flow naturally with your content sections. Everything must maintain perfect harmony.
Parameters as Design Tools
For each component in a foundation, you'll define parameters—thoughtfully crafted options that let future users adapt the component while maintaining its design integrity. These aren't arbitrary settings; they're carefully considered pathways through your design system.
Consider a hero component: Instead of creating separate designs, you might define parameters that transform the component while preserving its core design principles. Users can then explore these variations knowing they're still within your design vision.
Working Within Libraries
When a site uses an existing Foundation, designers work differently but no less creatively. You're now composing with sophisticated components, each offering carefully crafted parameters that let you achieve your vision while maintaining the Foundation’s professional quality.
Brand Implementation
A Foundation’s components provide parameters specifically designed for brand adaptation. You can adjust colours, typography, and component settings within the Foundation’s framework, ensuring your brand shines through while maintaining design integrity.
Visual Harmony
Because every component in a Foundation works together, you can focus on higher-level design decisions. Choose section types that support your narrative. Configure layouts that enhance your message. Fine-tune visual parameters to perfect your presentation.
Design Confidence
A Foundation ensures that every design decision maintains professional quality. Experiment with different layouts, try various visual styles, adjust component parameters—everything stays within the bounds of good design because it's built into your chosen Foundation.
The Design Process Transformed
This two-level approach to design—creating Foundations and working within them—transforms how we think about web design:
When Creating Foundations
Start with a complete vision:
Design entire component families that work together
Create cohesive visual systems
Build sophisticated components that adapt thoughtfully
Define parameters that maintain design integrity
When Using Foundations
Focus on communication:
Choose components that serve your message
Configure parameters to match your brand
Fine-tune presentations within the design system
Maintain consistency naturally
Looking Ahead
As websites become more sophisticated, this structured approach to design becomes increasingly valuable. Site Foundations give us a way to create scalable design systems that maintain their integrity while offering meaningful flexibility.
Whether you're creating Foundations or working within them, you're part of a new approach to web design—one that values both creative freedom and consistent quality. Your designs can evolve and adapt while maintaining the professional standards that make them effective.
The Result
The outcome is better for everyone:
Organizations get sophisticated websites that stay professional
Content teams work within thoughtfully designed systems
Developers implement designs that maintain their integrity
Users experience consistent, professional quality
Welcome to a new way of designing for the web—one that respects both creative vision and practical needs.