Elevate open source projects with design
Non-code contributions are crucial. Whether you are a maintainer looking to find designers to help you or improve your own design skills, or a designer looking to contribute to open source, you can learn, collaborate and thrive in the open design community.
Design should be transparent, inclusive, and driven by a collective effort.
Open design is a collaborative and transparent approach to creating products and experiences. It's about involving the community in the design process, sharing ideas openly and building on collective wisdom to create solutions that work for everyone.
Our principles of openness
Accessibility
Every human being has a unique experience and moves in the world in their own way. Understanding how to make technology more accessible and respectful of an individual's circumstances is key to a better future.
Transparency
Sharing the process is as important as sharing the result. This helps everyone understand a project’s ambitions, and makes it easier for anyone to chime in.
Co-creation
Multiple perspectives help identify opportunities that a single person might overlook. Directly involving stakeholders and users in the development process gives communities a sense of ownership and promotes creative problem-solving.
Why is open design important?
Sharing knowledge lifts
everybody up
Working in the open allows more people to get access to good quality resources and learn from diverse sources.
Diverse point-of-views make for better experiences
Including designers in open source projects helps balance user needs and technical constraints, and bridges the gap between maintainers and users.
Real-life projects are important to build skills
Open source projects help designers refine their skills and improve, and collaborate with people from around the world to build meaningful tools.
“Bringing in diverse perspectives and experiences is important for accessibility. Designers can help translate insights of people from different backgrounds to improve.”
Anonymous survey participant
Open design is for you
Contribute to open design
The open source world can be intimidating at first. Check out our guide on how to get started to contribute!
Contribute to Canonical projects
Explore Canonical projects that are open to design contributions, and find the resources you need to make your first contribution.
Find designers for your project
Discover the potential of design contributions in open source projects and how to attract designers to your project.
Get in touch
The Canonical Open Design Working Group would love to hear from you.