---
title: 'thoughtbot Design Link Pack: January 2022'
teaser: 'What are the thoughtbot designers reading and sharing this month?

  '
tags: design,inspiration
author: Alex Chen
published_on: 2022-02-04
---

![thoughtbot January 2022 design links cover image](https://images.thoughtbot.com/blog-vellum-image-uploads/AcSEHkeYSimrAx8uqLYf_links-cover-jan-2022.jpg)

Ever wonder what the thoughtbot designers share on Slack? Enter the Monthly Design Link Pack Newsletter™. Enclosed, you'll find our monthly roundup of what we've been reading, seeing, playing with, and ooh-ahh-ing

## Just Figma Things :sparkles:

**[Automator for Figma](https://automator.design/)**: A paid Figma plugin to automate actions

**[Figma Updates](https://twitter.com/figmadesign/status/1486020325112307717)**: Figma's 32 little big updates

**[Figsite](https://www.fig.site/)**: Turn Figma into a no-code website editor

**[Figma Store](https://store.figma.com/)**: Figma's storefront! I'll take one of each, please

**[Spacer Components in Figma](https://uxdesign.cc/using-spacer-components-to-drive-consistency-in-figma-7a0d6308142d)**: Using spacer components to drive consistency in Figma

**[Figma Academy](https://www.figma.academy/)**: Learn advanced design tactics with hands-on lessons delivered directly inside of Figma

## CSS Goodies

**[Codepen](https://codepen.io/Wongjn/pen/VwMBgZB)**: Cool hover effect

**[Getting Started With CSS Cascade Layers](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2022/01/introduction-css-cascade-layers/)**: Be more intentional about ordering the “layers” of CSS rules as a new method of cascade management.

**[CSS Cascade Layers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilrPpSQJb3U)**: Una Kravetz gives an overview of the new @layer and layer() CSS primitives

**[Parcel CSS](https://css-tricks.com/parcel-css/)**: A New CSS parser, transformer, and minifier

**[Non-boring Gradients](https://non-boring-gradients.netlify.app/)**: Gradient generator for more awesomeness

**[Tailwind x Prettier](https://twitter.com/tailwindcss/status/1485692591484157952)**: Prettier plugin for automatically sorting Tailwind classes

## Design Systems

**[Backlight](https://backlight.dev/)**: A collaborative platform empowering front-end teams to build and ship great Design Systems

**[Design Systems with Backlight](https://css-tricks.com/design-systems-with-backlight/)**: Build, Ship, & Maintain Design Systems with Backlight

**[Hey Design Systems](https://heydesign.systems/)**: A design systems resource with resources

**[Atomic Design and Storybook](https://bradfrost.com/blog/post/atomic-design-and-storybook/)**: Storybook and atomic design podcast w/ Brad Frost

## Typography

**[Gooper](https://www.futurefonts.xyz/very-cool-studio/gooper)**: A goopy, swashy, fat faced typeface

**[Utopia](https://utopia.fyi/)**: Elegantly scale type and space without breakpoints

**[Strikethrough](https://bipocdesignhistory.com/ST-General)**: Typography messages of protest for civil rights

**[font-variant-numeric](https://twitter.com/javan/status/1486059026064584711)**: CSS tip: align numbers neatly in a tables, progress counters, etc.

## Eye Candy :candy:

**[Mushroom Color Atlas](https://www.mushroomcoloratlas.com)**: Explore the chromatic universe of fungi

**[British & Exotic Mineralogy](https://c82.net/mineralogy)**: Explore all 2,242 illustrations from James Sowerby’s compendium of knowledge about mineralogy

**[Music For Programming](https://musicforprogramming.net/latest)**: MFP (music for programming) got a makeover!

**[Emoji to Scale](https://www.mushroomcoloratlas.com)**: Your favorite emojis. To scale (more or less)

## Good Reads :book:

**[“Agile” is eating design’s young](https://www.petermerholz.com/blog/agile-is-eating-designs-young-or-yet-another-reason-why-embedding-designers-doesnt-work/)**: A critique and exploration of embedded designers

**[Metaphors We Web By](https://maggieappleton.com/metaphors-web)**: A history of our metaphorical understanding of the web

## Resources for the designer toolkit

**[Descript](https://www.descript.com/transcription)**: Automatic and human-powered transcription

**[Laws of UX](https://lawsofux.com/)**: A collection of best practices that designers can consider when building user interfaces

## This month's newsletter is brought to you by...

- [Andrew Spencer](https://twitter.com/iam_aspencer)
- [Elaina Natario](https://twitter.com/elainanatario)
- [Luke Mitchell](https://twitter.com/LkeMitchll)
- [Matheus Richard](https://twitter.com/matheusrich)
- [Sam Kapila](https://twitter.com/SamKap)
- [Stephen Lindberg](https://twitter.com/phiesteban)
- [Steven Neamonitakis](https://twitter.com/sneamonitakis)