You know that feeling when something seems completely out of reach?. That's exactly how I felt about open source for the longest time. Every time someone mentioned "open source contributions," my mind would immediately jump to scenes of developers hunched over their keyboards, typing away in different programming languages. I use to think, "Open source is mainly for developers" - because let's face it, contributing to open source as a designer isn't clear cut as it is for a developer 🫠.
The Day I Decided to Jump In 🤾♂️
Here's the thing about comfort zones - they're comfortable until they start feeling like cages. One day, I found myself thinking, "What if?" What if I could contribute to open source as a designer? Instead of just wondering, I decided to do something about it.
I opened GitHub (feeling a bit like a tourist in a tech city) and typed in probably the most straightforward search term ever: "designer needed." 🤣
Little did I know that this simple search would lead me down such an interesting path. As I was scrolling through the results (and trying to make sense of all the technical jargon), I spotted something that caught my eye - a tag labeled "Hacktoberfest." I'll be honest, my first thought was, "Is this some kind of tech-themed Halloween party?". A quick Google search later, and I found myself on the Hacktoberfest website, absolutely intrigued by what I was seeing.
Discovering TBD 👀
After signing up for Hacktoberfest and linking my GitHub account (feeling pretty tech-savvy at this point), I went back to searching, this time with a bit more purpose and using the hacktoberfest tag. While I was initially hunting for design-related issues - you know, my comfort zone - I stumbled upon an opened issue on TBD with the following tags: good-first-issue, hacktoberfest, no-code, small. This piqued my curiosity, so I clicked to learn more.
I discovered this incredibly well-documented issue on TBD. Sure, it was about fixing some typos - not exactly the design work I had imagined - but something about the way they had laid out their documentation made me think, "Hey, I could actually do this!". 😏
From the moment I opened their repository, it was clear that this team had put serious thought into making newcomers feel welcomed. Their documentation wasn't just good; it was like having a friendly guide holding your hand through every step of the process.
The Technical Adventure Begins 👩🏽💻
Now, this is where things got real. The project guidelines mentioned installing things like Node.js and pnpm - words that honestly sounded more like keyboard smashes than actual tools at first 🙁. But here's what I've learned, sometimes the best way to grow is to embrace feeling completely out of your depth.
When I hit a wall trying to install pnpm, I swallowed my pride of always wanting to figure out things myself and reached out to my friend who is a front-end developer.
You should have seen me trying to explain what I was doing - "So, there's this thing called Hacktoberfest, and I'm trying to fix a typo, but first I need to install something that sounds like it's missing some vowels…🤦♀️" Thankfully, he was patient enough to guide me through the terminal commands, explaining each step as we went along.
My First Pull Request 🤭
Imagine designing in Figma with everyone in the company you work at, including your boss, watching your every move. That's exactly the level of nervousness I felt.
I must have triple-checked every step: creating a new branch (which felt like starting a new design project, but with VS code), making my edits (finally, something familiar!), and documenting my changes. I Submitted my request but forgot to fill out the description 😥.
But here's the beautiful part of this story - the TBD team. They weren't just nice; they were incredibly supportive in a way that made me feel like I belonged there.
They'd send messages that felt less like technical feedback and more like friendly guidance. It was like having a team of mentors who genuinely wanted to see me succeed.
What started as a simple typo fix turned into a genuine connection with the TBD project. After my first pull request was merged, I found myself coming back to their repository, looking for more ways to contribute. The confidence I gained from that first experience led me to take on more issues.
The TBD Community 💛
There was this moment that really stuck with me. Another contributor tried to take on the issue I was working on. I felt a flutter of panic when I checked their profile and saw they were an experienced developer with a solid track record in open source contributions.
You know, the "oh no, someone more experienced is going to do this task" kind of feeling😞. Instead of letting it become awkward, the community manager stepped in with such grace to help clarify everything.
It wasn't just about managing contributions; it was about making sure everyone, especially newcomers like me, had a fair shot at participating. Additionally, the TBD maintainers made every contribution feel valuable. It wasn't just about the fixes; it was about making people feel seen and appreciated for their efforts.
No matter how small, they didn't just merge pull requests; they took the time to thank contributors and even offer to help guide you if you're stuck or have questions.
My Hacktoberfest Badges 🎖️
Contributing to Hacktoberfest 2024 had five unique holopin badges, each awarded for registering and successfully merging 4 pull request. I proudly collected all five, adding them to my Github profile. Each one represents a significant milestone in my journey - from my initial nervous pull request to confidently submitting my fourth contribution.
Now, as I look at my complete collection, I feel a profound sense of pride. These badges aren't mere participation trophies; they are symbols of real contributions, valuable lessons learned, and personal growth.
The Plot Twist 😎
What started as an attempt to contribute design work to open source ended up teaching me so much more. Yes, I'm still a designer at heart - my UX/UI skills aren't going anywhere. But now I have this whole new set of skills and knowledge that makes me feel like I'm part of something bigger.
While I've tried contributing to other open-source projects since then, my experience with TBD holds a special place in my heart. It's like that first great teacher you had in school who made you believe you could do anything - they didn't just teach me about contributing to open source and Web5; they showed me that the tech world has room for everyone, including designers who are just crazy enough to try something new.
To the TBD team - "Saranghae", thank you for making my Hacktoberfest experience unforgettable 🫶🏽.
To all the designers out there who think open source is not for them - trust me, I've been there. Sometimes the best design contributions come from simply being brave enough to step into unfamiliar territory. Who knows? You might just find yourself loving the command line (okay, maybe "loving" is a strong word, but you'll definitely stop fearing it) 😉.
And remember, every expert was once a beginner who was just curious enough to try something new. Even if that something new involves occasionally having to ask what "pnpm" stands for 😁.
This is a submission for the 2024 Hacktoberfest Writing challenge: Contributor Experience
Top comments (3)
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It means a great deal to me that everything our team worked hard on made you feel like you and anyone can contribute to open source. Your experience means a lot! 🖤
aww I'm so very happy to hear that your experience contributing to TBD projects was a good one! Thank you so much for this post 🙏🏾
Thanks Angie 🫶🏽