Whose truths?

“We’ve confused the measurements we use for signal for the things they’re meant to signify, and it’s warped how we in design systems see ourselves. Here lies, I think, the hardest questions queer theory poses to the practice of design systems. If scale and efficiency are what guides your work: Whose single truth are you making possible? Whose truths are you making impossible?” Great questions from John Voss, in a talk about queering design systems thinking. As I often find to be the case, these questions are relevant not only for design systems, but any time we’re orienting our work towards scale and efficiency, and where the hope for a single “truth” is present (however well it is or is not acknowledged). It reminds me of Ursula Franklin’s invitation to always ask who bears the risks of some change, and who benefits. Very often, the answers to those questions point to where there’s work to do.