Ryan HigginsResources
Tools & Thinking
The design system I built for my own practice, and the writing I do when a topic won't leave me alone.
Design System
SonarUI
SonarUI is a design system built on the conviction that people with low vision and blindness deserve to be first-class citizens of every interface — not an afterthought, not a compliance checkbox. It covers typography, color tokens, a six-level surface hierarchy, spacing, and component patterns, all designed to work across light and dark modes and scale cleanly across breakpoints.
Every decision has a reason rooted in how vision actually degrades across conditions. WCAG is a floor here, not a destination. The system pushes toward the ceiling — and documents why.
SonarUI Documentation
Typography, color tokens, surface hierarchy, components, and the principles behind each decision.
Writing
When I'm Fired Up
I'll admit — I can be a bit tongue-in-cheek. I tend to write when something in the industry genuinely gets under my skin. Writing is how I think, and thinking is how I keep moving forward instead of getting stuck relitigating problems that deserve cleaner resolution. These articles are the output of that process.
Why GenAI Feels Smart Even When It's Not: A UX Take on Bias and Use
A look at why generative AI interfaces create strong impressions of intelligence — and what that means for how we design (and misuse) them.
Read on LinkedInNope, That's UX
On the habit of renaming UX problems as something else to avoid addressing them properly. A short, pointed read.
Read on LinkedInHere's Why You're a Designer
On the impostor syndrome that haunts designers at every career stage — and why the question "am I really a designer?" is itself a pretty good answer.
Read on LinkedIn