Contributor Guidelines

Contributor guidelines document how external contributors can add to or improve design systems. Effective contributor guidelines enable high-quality contributions while maintaining system standards and coherence.

What Are Contributor Guidelines

Contributor guidelines are documented instructions that help potential contributors understand how to participate in design system development. Guidelines cover what contributions are welcome, how to submit them, what standards they must meet, and what review processes they will undergo.

Guidelines serve multiple purposes. They welcome contributors by making participation accessible. They maintain quality by setting clear expectations. They improve efficiency by reducing back-and-forth during review. They protect system coherence by ensuring contributions align with overall direction.

How Contributor Guidelines Work

Scope documentation clarifies what contributions the system welcomes. Some systems accept component additions from any team. Others restrict contributions to bug fixes or documentation improvements. Clear scope prevents wasted effort on contributions that will not be accepted.

Process documentation explains how to submit contributions. This includes technical requirements like branch naming, commit formats, and pull request templates. It also covers workflow expectations including review timelines and iteration processes.

Standards documentation specifies what contributions must achieve. Code quality requirements, testing expectations, documentation completeness, and accessibility compliance all belong in standards documentation. Clear standards enable contributors to prepare acceptable submissions before review.

Review documentation describes how contributions get evaluated. Who reviews contributions? What criteria do they apply? How long do reviews typically take? What happens when contributions need revision? Transparent review processes build contributor confidence.

Key Considerations

• Guidelines should be discoverable, typically in repository documentation or developer portals
• Balance completeness with readability; overly long guidelines deter participation
• Include examples of good contributions when possible
• Update guidelines when processes or standards change
• Consider guidelines from the contributor perspective, addressing likely questions

Common Questions

How detailed should contributor guidelines be?

Guidelines should be detailed enough that motivated contributors can prepare acceptable submissions without extensive back-and-forth. They should not be so detailed that potential contributors feel overwhelmed before starting. Focus on information contributors need at each stage: deciding whether to contribute, preparing their submission, and responding to review feedback.

How do guidelines handle first-time contributors?

Effective guidelines include pathways for newcomers. Good first issues, mentorship offers, or simplified processes for small contributions help new contributors succeed. Guidelines might distinguish between expectations for first contributions versus established contributors. Welcoming tone encourages participation without lowering standards.

What role do templates play in contribution guidelines?

Templates for issues, pull requests, and component proposals help contributors provide necessary information consistently. Well-designed templates prompt for required details while remaining quick to complete. Templates also help reviewers by ensuring consistent information presentation. However, overly rigid templates can frustrate contributors with legitimate variations.

Summary

Contributor guidelines enable external participation while maintaining system quality. Success requires clear documentation of scope, process, standards, and review expectations. Organizations should invest in guidelines that welcome contributions while ensuring those contributions meet system requirements and align with overall direction.