--- title: "Let’s talk open design\n | Ubuntu" description: Why aren't there more design contributions in open source? Help us find out! url: https://ubuntu.com/blog/lets-talk-open-design?format=md keywords: index, follow --- 1. [Blog](https://ubuntu.com/blog) 2. Article --- [Ana Sereijo](https://ubuntu.com/blog/author/anasereijo "More about Ana Sereijo") 19 April 2024 # Let’s talk open design [Design](https://ubuntu.com/blog/tag/design) [open design](https://ubuntu.com/blog/tag/open-design) [user experience](https://ubuntu.com/blog/tag/user-experience-2) --- Share the article At Canonical, we’re committed to open-source principles and fostering collaboration. Over the last 20 years, Ubuntu’s brand has become a leader in open source, with an open operating system. Our community shapes Ubuntu’s journey, and we recognise room for improvement in how we collaborate, particularly in design at Canonical. Despite most of our development being open source, our design processes often lack transparency, particularly in visuals, user interaction, and research. We are excited to announce that we kickstarted a working group within the Design team with a mission to empower external designers to contribute to open-source projects. Our focus is on building resources that bridge the gap between designers and open-source project maintainers, making it easier for designers to dive into projects and for maintainers to receive valuable design contributions and feedback. Before we figure out how to support you, we’re checking out ongoing Open Design initiatives and understanding the needs, motivations, and interests of designers and project maintainers. We’re learning tons along the way and prioritising ideas on how to move forward! As we kick things off, your input would be invaluable in shaping our efforts. Therefore, we are inviting open source maintainers and designers to participate in [this survey](https://krzty8pox19.typeform.com/OpenDesignS). Your input will provide valuable insights and help us ensure we’re on the right track. Cheers, – The Open Design Working Group --- ### **Join the Canonical design team** We’re looking for designers who care about craft and how systems work under the hood. At Canonical, design sits at the intersection of UX, engineering, and open source where we shape cohesive, accessible experiences across cloud, desktop, and IoT products. If you enjoy solving complex problems and turning technical depth into clarity, explore our open roles: **[canonical.com/careers](https://canonical.com/careers/web-and-design?utm_source=ownedcontent-canonical-design-blog&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=evergreen-recruiting&utm_content=evergreen-blog)** [Get in touch Interested in running Ubuntu in your organization?](https://ubuntu.com/about/contact-us/form) ## Newsletter signup Get the latest Ubuntu news and updates in your inbox. Work email: \*I agree to receive information about Canonical's products and services. By submitting this form, I confirm that I have read and agree to [Canonical's Privacy Policy](https://canonical.com/legal/data-privacy). Sign up ## Share on --- ## Related posts [### Challenges designers face in open source (and how to fix them)](https://ubuntu.com/blog/challenges-designers-face-in-open-source-and-how-to-fix-them) Open source powers up to 90% of modern software, yet many projects lack usability. Canonical’s Design team surveyed 115 cross-functional professionals to uncover the 4 core... [Kola Ojoodide](https://ubuntu.com/blog/author/kola-ojoodide) 26 June 2026 [### Template: Streamlining open source design contributions](https://ubuntu.com/blog/template-streamlining-open-source-design-contributions) As designers working at Canonical, we’re always thinking about open source. We believe that encouraging more designers to contribute to open source benefits everyone, from the... [Nina Rojc](https://ubuntu.com/blog/author/ninarojc) 16 June 2026 [### Decoding design: How design and engineering thrive together in open source](https://ubuntu.com/blog/decoding-design-how-design-and-engineering-thrive-together-in-open-source) Open source thrives on engineering-driven processes. Fast feedback loops, terminal tools, Git workflows: they’re the lifeblood of how we build software in the open. But for... [Miguel Divo](https://ubuntu.com/blog/author/mdivo) 22 May 2026 [### From inspiration to impact: design students from Regent’s University London explore open design for their dissertation projects](https://ubuntu.com/blog/from-inspiration-to-impact-design-students-from-regents-university-london-explore-open-design-for-their-dissertation-projects) Last year, we had the opportunity to speak at Regent’s UX Conference (Regent’s University London’s conference to showcase UX work by staff, students, and alumni), where we... [Miguel Divo](https://ubuntu.com/blog/author/mdivo) 13 February 2026