I plan and build design systems

Having spent a lot of time on design and engineering teams I’m able to help small startups and established companies as a generalist in a variety of ways.

• Creating and extending accessible design systems with design and code.
• Presentational component development in React and Svelte.
• Design token naming, management, and distribution.
• Product design of web applications from wireframing to final polish.
• Prototyping in Figma and with live code.
• Chrome extensions and Figma plugins.
• Integrating with content management systems.
• Authoring documentation.
• General consulting to help teams define roles, sequence work, and plan for future.

During our initial meetings we’ll determine what work is required for your project and the phases needed to complete it. I can also refer you to other designers and developers if I’m not able to help you.

At its most basic, a design system is a collection of design and developer assets that can increase product development velocity, reduce tech debt and repetition, and increase user interface consistency.

With the complexity of building modern applications many companies have adopted design systems and often dedicate entire teams to build and maintain them.

Though most small companies don’t have a need for such full-time attention, even a small design system will bring speed and consistency benefits and serve as a foundation as the product evolves.

Projects that can be well-scoped will be quoted on a fixed-price basis. If the work is exploratory or you prefer an open-ended engagement I can charge at an hourly rate. I also offer discounted rates for non-profits and educational institutions.

For design I use Figma to plan, test, and build components and libraries.

Code projects are built in React, Svelte, with an optional functional CSS library to help with layout and responsiveness. All code is managed and tracked in a private GitHub repository or can be located in your GitHub organization.

Acesss to the design files and code will be granted early in the process with ownership of them handed over at the conclusion of the project.

Have other requirements? Let me know!

For design systems projects I will commonly provide…

• Systems for color, spacing, iconography, and typography.
• Foundational presentational components like buttons, avatars, and form elements.
• Documentation in Figma for design components and Storybook for coded components.
• Full-page coded layouts of a few representative pages or patterns as needed.
• Two weeks of post-project support.

And regardless of the type of project, all deliverables will be clearly detailed in our working agreement.

I’m Tom Genoni, a designer and developer living in San Francisco.

I’ve always been fascinated by the process of building products and why great design so often turns into not-so-great user experiences. Working in design systems has provided a perfect intersection of these interests and I love the challenges of keeping the chaos at bay.

I also like cats, boring documentaries, and sour candy.