#fossdesign — Public Fediverse posts

#FOSSDesign 2026 happened in March and the recordings are ready.

With speakers from Blender, Mastodon, AWS and KDE. We'll be sharing each session over the coming weeks.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq-odUc2x7i-ZpO0FvWOCb5BzoyQOEZoT

We gained many new followers here on the fediverse in the past weeks. Hello everyone! 👋
Many of you might have seen the gerate talk by @imanijoy at our recent event. But did you already have a look at other talks that took place at #FOSSDesign? Here are some recommendations:

This year we had an insightful talk by @anditosan about a design system for @kde : https://youtu.be/Vrl7aRQ25HU?si=N2d8yLq2Ev1rNQ4O
Last year @tantacrul spoke about UX in Open Source and especially at #Audacity : https://youtu.be/12TJ-zTgiH0?si=lXI5gz_BkmWO81GU
And at the very first edition of #FOSSDesign we had Abhishek Sharma alongside Katie Wilson who spoke about usability in OSS: https://youtu.be/381Pb02Sa_Y?si=2d8cZmBVtX3zvpI5
These are just some examples from our archive. You can find all recordings on the @plainschwarz YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PlainSchwarzUG/playlists

Imani Joy – A Solo Designer’s Survival Guide to the Fediverse #FOSSDesign
@[email protected]
https://poliverso.org/display/52acf9cd-5f88bea54eca035e-51d5cff3

Following on from yesterday's blog post about the new design for profiles coming in Mastodon 4.6... here is the video of @imanijoy recent talk at @fossdesign where they discuss the challenges and detailed thought that goes into the design of new features (and the redesign of existing ones). 🖌️#FOSSBack #Mastodon

What a community! 💛

Looking through the photos from #FOSSDesign, it’s inspiring to see so many people working together toward making Open Source Software more accessible, user-centered, and welcoming beyond the OSS community.

We’re truly grateful for such a successful conference day.

Take a moment to browse the photos, find yourself, and feel free to share them, just be sure to credit our dear photographer, Jan Michalko: https://www.flickr.com/photos/newthinking_de/albums/72177720332625127/

It's a wrap! A big thank you to all the participants, speakers and hosts who made #FOSSDesign 2026 not only possible, but also fun, inspiring and productive: @erioldoesdesign, Larissa Rodiga, Eileen Wagner, @imanijoy, Andy Betts, Dalai Felinto, @pablovazquez Vazquez, and Lahari Chowtoori.

More pictures and a little recap soon!

Recordings of the sessions will be online by the end of next week on our YT-Channel: https://lnkd.in/dfr2aE8p

Thanks to our partners @penpot and @opensourcedesign!

Dalai Felinto and @pablovazquez share how they use mockups and prototyping with open source tools to help the design process at @Blender. The session goes over real examples of projects designed – from concepts on whiteboards, the initial low-file mockups all the way to high fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes.

Join us for this talk and much more on March 18! Few tickets left for #FOSSDesign in Berlin: https://26.foss-backstage.design/tickets/

In the open source world, while code contributions often take the spotlight, the ecosystem thrives on the crucial work of non-technical contributors. This talk by Lahari Chowtoori delves into their emotional and professional journeys.

Join us for this and other exciting sessions at #FOSSDesign on March 18 in Berlin: https://26.foss-backstage.design/program/

The conference is supported by @penpot

Design systems evolved the process by which UI graphics are made, full with automation and deep integration. However, Open Source communities were left out of this bandwagon.

Fortunately, a new wave of design system applications has made an appearance with a bold strategy and Open Source at its core. Andy Betts (@kde) talks about this journey at #FOSSDesign on March 18 in Berlin.

Get your ticket: https://lnkd.in/geqFH6Yd

FOSS Backstage Design 2026 is supported by @penpot

RE: https://floss.social/@fossdesign/116216489704254697

Everyone interested in Design & UX within Open Source software projects, #FOSSDesign is your event!

Berlin, March 18, tickets from 35€! https://26.foss-backstage.design/tickets/

What does it take to be the only designer on a nine-person team building decentralized social media for millions of users? In this talk, @imanijoy shares hard-won lessons from being Mastodon’s first full-time designer.

Join us for this and other exciting sessions, as well as an interactive barcamp, on March 18 in Berlin!

Get one of the very last tickets for FOSS Backstage Design: https://26.foss-backstage.design/tickets/

#FOSSDesign is supported by @penpot

Hiya! 😺 Let's get FediHired! :fediverse: ⁂

I'm a designer and illustrator who works exclusively with open source tools, thanks to #Inkscape, #Scribus, #Krita etc. (can do #Adobe #CreativeSuite if needed). 📕

Also up for 3D-animated, interactive, immersive projects (#Fulldome / #VR w #Blender #Godot) 🌌

https://jfml.eu

:boost:

#JfmlArt #art #illustration #creative #design #typography #GraphicDesign #logo #icon #DigitalArt#FediHire #FediHired #GetFediHired #FOSSdesign #OpenSource

Hiya! 😺 Let's get FediHired! :fediverse: ⁂

I'm a designer and illustrator who works exclusively with open source tools, thanks to #Inkscape, #Scribus, #Krita etc. (can do #Adobe #CreativeSuite if needed). 📕

Also up for 3D-animated, interactive, immersive projects (#Fulldome / #VR w #Blender #Godot) 🌌

https://jfml.eu

:boost:

#JfmlArt #art #illustration #creative #design #typography #GraphicDesign #logo #icon #DigitalArt#FediHire #FediHired #GetFediHired #FOSSdesign #OpenSource

Hiya! 😺 Let's get FediHired! :fediverse: ⁂

I'm a designer and illustrator who works exclusively with open source tools, thanks to #Inkscape, #Scribus, #Krita etc. (can do #Adobe #CreativeSuite if needed). 📕

Also up for 3D-animated, interactive, immersive projects (#Fulldome / #VR w #Blender #Godot) 🌌

https://jfml.eu

:boost:

#JfmlArt #art #illustration #creative #design #typography #GraphicDesign #logo #icon #DigitalArt#FediHire #FediHired #GetFediHired #FOSSdesign #OpenSource

Hiya! 😺 Let's get FediHired! :fediverse: ⁂

I'm a designer and illustrator who works exclusively with open source tools, thanks to #Inkscape, #Scribus, #Krita etc. (can do #Adobe #CreativeSuite if needed). 📕

Also up for 3D-animated, interactive, immersive projects (#Fulldome / #VR w #Blender #Godot) 🌌

https://jfml.eu

:boost:

#JfmlArt #art #illustration #creative #design #typography #GraphicDesign #logo #icon #DigitalArt#FediHire #FediHired #GetFediHired #FOSSdesign #OpenSource

FOSS Backstage Design will return on 18 March 2026, the day after FOSS Backstage.

Join us for a day dedicated exclusively to user experience and design within free and open-source software projects.

Learn more: https://26.foss-backstage.design/

📎 Get your ticket: https://tickets.plainschwarz.com/fossdesign26/c/1akoxGbLw/

Watch last year's sessions on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PlainSchwarzUG/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_id=4

#fossdesign

"FOSS Backstage Design is the place to meet designers, UX-experts, OpenSource enthusiasts, product managers and people generally interested in UX, accessible design and usability"

@fossdesign

"Joining #FOSSDesign is your opportunity to learn about design & UX, network with the FOSS Design community and improve your skills!"

Wow!

I'd like us all to take a moment to appreciate how effing cute the new @kde Dolphin icon is 😍

#FOSS #FOSSDesign #KDE #icon #design #GraphicDesign #UI #logo #cute #dolphin #animals #Desktop

Tobias's talk about GNOME Design at @fossdesign is great and informative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aJm05Cj7hs

#FOSSDesign

@tbernard @FOSSBackstage thanks for that talk! I really enjoyed watching that at #FOSSDesign

@fossdesign

Yesterday we celebrated the second edition of FOSS Backstage Design!

We're grateful to everyone who joined us. We are always looking to improve the conference and your feedback is invaluable in helping us to make the next edition of FOSS Backstage Design even better! Please take part in our feedback survey: https://surveys.plainschwarz.com/index.php/976392?lang=en

#fossdesign

@penpot @FOSSBackstage Thanks for the shoutout! All information about #FOSSDesign can be found on the event website at: https://25.foss-backstage.design

Some recent fractal concept art...

#conceptart #GIMP #fossdesign #mastoart

Very excited to be trying out the new @inkscape release soon. To make sure testing it out is up to standards, I'll need to pair it with GIMP and Scribus in a pseudo professional setting.

Would you suggest some fake exercise that can get all those three to work together?
#libregraphics #fossdesign #gimp #scribus

Design is still a fundamental part of open source, yet designers are rarely involved in open source contributions. At this year's FOSS Backstage Design, Gleb Stroganov talked about your options if you are responsible for UI design, and discussed how to get started. #fossdesign

https://youtu.be/zawioGwyiFA?feature=shared

At FOSS Backstage Design, Anton Lovchikov discussed what makes developer interfaces different from consumer apps, how to deal with divided attention and non-linear behaviour, and the best strategies for designing interfaces for different content. #fossdesign

https://youtu.be/uPNvFkDBCJ4?si=kY0YkLtZcQCLZoqE

At FOSS Backstage Design, Katie Wilson and Abhishek Sharma discussed the relationship between usability, design, and security, and explored the implementation of usability metrics and testing within OSS projects. #fossdesign

https://youtu.be/381Pb02Sa_Y?si=9yp1UgolwyRRVlgL

Documentation needs to be intuitive and accessible, which requires a more mindful approach. At FOSS Backstage Design, Pedro Fernandes shared his insights on improving software adoption by redesigning documentation. #fossdesign

https://youtu.be/aILBvX52j5w?si=vO78fdtNeYSLUg5g

At FOSS Backstage Design, Samira Gibson Wages shared resources for getting started with XR technology and discussed why OSS tools for XR will create a more accessible and equitable web for the next stage of our digital evolution. #fossdesign

https://youtu.be/sfb9A1c-Bng?si=Zcs4k9_xFp9RVSr2

Carolina Portugal and Elena Alcalde Rueda shared their experiences on how simple and effective strategies can make an open source project more visible and inclusive at this year's FOSS Backstage Design. #fossdesign

https://youtu.be/j7DVE-EvZm0?si=dqsnaxSwZa5RRVwk

Learn how to use the power of UX heuristics to improve usability and increase the adoption of open source solutions in this FOSS Backstage Design talk by Christopher Hunter. #fossdesign

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMMkUnGTKAk

Learn how to make open source projects with complicated and niche concepts easy to understand and accessible to users in this FOSS Backstage Design talk from René Kriegler, who shared insights on how a powerful demo, videos, kata, and finally the story of Pete, the search product manager, helped them improve the user experience. #fossdesign

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exRqB5yYQCs