diff --git a/oeps/processes/oep-0070-proc-shared-design-collateral.rst b/oeps/processes/oep-0070-proc-shared-design-collateral.rst new file mode 100644 index 000000000..b47837363 --- /dev/null +++ b/oeps/processes/oep-0070-proc-shared-design-collateral.rst @@ -0,0 +1,155 @@ +.. _OEP-70 Shared Design Collateral Contribution Requirements: + +OEP-70: Shared Design Collateral Contribution Requirements +########################################################## + +.. list-table:: + :widths: 25 75 + + * - OEP + - :ref:`OEP-0070 ` + * - Title + - Shared Design Collateral Contribution Requirements + * - Last Modified + - 2026-07-27 + * - Authors + - Sam Daitzman + * - Arbiter + - TBD (Needs an arbiter) + * - Status + - Draft + * - Type + - Process + * - Created + - 2026-07-14 + * - Review Period + - TBD (recommended 2 weeks) + * - References + - | Open edX shared Figma instance + | `Open edX Shared Design Collateral + `_ + | :ref:OEP-1 OEP Purpose and Guidelines` + +.. contents:: + :local: + :depth: 1 + +Abstract +******** + +This OEP establishes that design collateral contributed to the Open edX +platform must be contributed back into the shared Open edX Figma instance, +under open access for reuse, as a condition of the work being considered +complete. This applies to all design contributions to the platform. It applies +the same collaboration model the community already relies on for code to +design: a single source of truth, versioned work in branches, and maintainer +review before merge. + +Following the precedent of prior *amnesty*-style process changes (e.g., the +:ref:`lint amnesty `), +the requirement applies going forward only: existing and legacy design files +are granted amnesty and are not required to be retroactively migrated to match +the structure or format of the standard reference design collateral, though +contributing them is strongly encouraged. + +Motivation +********** + +Historically, the Open edX project has had no shared source of truth for design resources. +This created three recurring problems: + +#. **Duplicated, siloed work.** Every provider with design capacity maintained + separate, out-of-date versions of designs, and teams regularly recreated + designs from scratch for existing Open edX apps. +#. **Ambiguous intent.** Without a design source of truth, engineers could not + differentiate intentional design decisions from provider-specific Figma + quirks or accidents. +#. **High onboarding cost.** New design contributors had nowhere to start and + no history of decisions to build on, making community onboarding very + difficult. + +The shared Open edX Figma instance now provides that source of truth, with +resources across nearly all platform areas and modern, reusable file structures +aligned to Paragon. However, **adoption is now the central risk to future Open +edX community shared/open design efforts.** Strong in-person interest has not +translated into active use of the shared instance, and some active +contributions have built on openly shared components without contributing their +new files back or making them available for open reuse. + +Without a community-wide norm, a single provider effectively becomes the only +party keeping the files current, which is not sustainable. Codifying a +contribution expectation is the most direct lever to secure the long-term value +of the shared instance. + +Specification +************* + +#. **Contribution requirement.** Any accepted product proposal that includes + design work must submit its design collateral to the shared Open edX Figma + instance for the project to be considered complete. This should be captured + as an expectation in future design contributions. + + - **Note**: the contribution model is actively maintained by the `Design + `_ and `Frontend + `_ Working Groups, which will + allow for flexibility and openness in shared design collateral governance + going forward. + +#. **Open access.** Contributed files must be openly accessible and reusable by + the community (viewable and exportable, under an open license) so that + anyone can reference or build on them, including for open-format export and + agentic prototyping. +#. **Workflow parity with code.** Contributions happen in branches within the + shared instance. Design maintainers review work-in-progress and provide + feedback before it is merged into the live product-area files, mirroring the + code-maintainer model. Design files for each named release, frozen at the time of release cut, will be published to the Figma + Community as part of the release (Build-Test-Release, or BTR) process. +#. **Roles.** Each proposal and contribution stream has identified Author(s) + and an Arbiter, plus Design Maintainers (analogous to code maintainers) + responsible for reviewing and merging contributions. +#. **Communication and relay.** This expectation is relayed to current and + future contribution owners and providers, and at minimum current + contribution owners are asked to return files they worked on to the shared + instance. + +Backward Compatibility +********************** + +This OEP applies to new and future work only: **no regressions.** Design work +that predates this proposal is granted amnesty: providers are not required to +retroactively migrate legacy files into the shared instance, though doing so is +strongly encouraged. This mirrors the community's linting-amnesty precedent, +where new violations are disallowed while pre-existing ones are forgiven. + +Rationale +********* + +- **Proven model.** Code contributors already benefit from a shared source of + truth, versioning, parallel work, central issue tracking, and a shared doc + site (Paragon). Extending the same practices to design is a natural, low-risk + step. +- **Lower barrier to entry.** A shared, openly licensed instance lets new + contributors start from existing work instead of an empty canvas, + accelerating onboarding. +- **Cleaner handoffs.** A design source of truth lets engineers distinguish + intentional decisions from accidents, reducing guesswork and rework. +- **Reduced duplication.** Shared, reusable atoms, molecules, and full views + cut redundant design spend across providers. + +Open Questions +************** + +- Exact licensing terms and access mechanics for contributed files. +- Whether the requirement applies to all design contributions or a defined + subset or tier. +- The support and resourcing model (e.g., a pilot and training) to help + providers meet the requirement. + +Change History +************** + +2026-07-14 +========== + +* Document created. +* `Pull request #813 `_