Pajamas Design System
Design principles for GitLab's Pajamas Design System that act as reusable standards for teams to measure their work, replacing subjective ideals with shared understanding of what results must do for users.
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Sophisticated simplicity
Make thoughtful choices that streamline complex workflows and functionality, helping users stay focused on what matters most without unnecessary gimmicks.
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Design for natural developer flow
Enable users to move seamlessly through tasks without context switching, prioritising workflow continuity over feature isolation.
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Start simple, reveal complexity gradually
Show only what users need now with advanced features discoverable when needed, providing zero-configuration setup for common use cases.
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Make everything feel like one product
Use consistent patterns so learning transfers across all features with unified design system, terminology, and predictable interactions.
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Make every interaction feel instant
Design for speed from the start with sub-second response for common actions and progressive loading for complex operations.
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Show what's happening and why
Users should always understand system status and how to fix problems with clear indicators, comprehensive logs, and intuitive debugging.
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Build for teams, not just individuals
Make sharing, discussing, and collaborating effortless, facilitating teamwork and communication across all features.
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Always provide a clear next step
Never show problems without solutions or data without actions, providing smart recommendations and clear next steps for every state.
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Enable customization within guardrails
Let teams work their way while maintaining platform coherence through flexible configuration with smart defaults and inheritance patterns.
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Design for scale and compliance always
Build in governance, security, and audit capabilities from the start with role-based access control and complete audit trails.
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Make it a joy to use
Craft delightful experiences that developers will champion with keyboard shortcuts, accessibility features, and thoughtful micro-interactions.