University of St Andrews

Digital pattern library

Version 1.27.3 Last updated: Tuesday 04 October 2022

• Digital pattern library
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Getting started
    • Quick start
    • What is included?
  • 3. Contributing to the DPL
    • Development milestones
    • Bug reports and feature requests
  • 4. License

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1. Introduction

The digital pattern library (DPL) is a system-agnostic resource to ensure a consistent look and feel for all digital products at the University of St Andrews.

The DPL is created and owned by the University of St Andrews digital communications team.

It acts as a central repository for the source code of each pattern used on the University website and web applications, and also documents coding standards, colours, and other development criteria for digital products.

The digital pattern library is an evolving set of design patterns underpinning a new digital approach for the University, built through collaboration, and tested with real people who use our products.

2. Getting started

See SETUP.md for detailed instructions and how to install the DPL, and upgrade the DPL to the latest version.

Quick start

To get set up quickly, follow these steps.

• Install the following
  • Git (command line) or GitKraken
  • Node.js
  • Grunt CLI
• Clone the repo
• npm install
• gem install compass
• grunt

What is included?

FILES.md gives a list of the main folders and files in the DPL source code and brief summaries about each.

3. Contributing to the DPL

CONTRIBUTING.md goes into detail about DPL development practices (workflow, version numbers, etc.) as well as how to build the DPL using grunt, and detailed instructions on how to create a new pattern.

Development milestones

Development milestones can be found on GitHub.

Bug reports and feature requests

Bug reports and feature requests can be made on the GitHub issues page.

4. License

If you wish to use the DPL you must liaise with the digital communications team for access and training. Any member of staff using the DPL will be expected to attend the fortnightly DPL developers' meeting.

External agencies or partners who wish to use the DPL must request access from the digital communications team. Access to the DPL to external partners is granted on a case by case basis.

All users of the DPL must have an understanding of user-centred design, and keep up to date with the digital communications team service manual.

New web applications and webpages designed using the digital pattern library must be approved by the digital communications team before they are deployed to a production environment.

All users who wish to use the DPL to build a product must first organise a kick-off meeting with the digital communications team. At this meeting rules and responsibilities will be agreed. Once they have been introduced to and understand the DPL and want to continue to use it they will be required to sign a memorandum of understanding (Word, 19KB).

The memorandum of understanding will set out clear sign-off gateways, which require users to share the information architecture (IA) for web pages and/or workflow for web apps as well as plans for content management with the digital communications team before the DPL is used to build or prototype a product.

Once the IA or workflow has been agreed, the product must meet the relevant URL policy. All products using any element of the DPL must conform to the code standards, house style, content standards and corporate identity policy of the University of St Andrews.

A clear commitment must be given that no new product using the DPL will go live without the explicit, written sign-off by the digital communications team.

In turn, the digital communications team will provide advice and support for use of the DPL.