Cosnova Pattern Library
E-Commerce / Frontend
● Technologies
Development of a flexible Pattern Library in a fast evolving market environment.
Approach
In this project, the focus was on the efficient development of a component library to enable our customer to launch new brands cost-effectively. The chosen "Atomic Design Approach" enabled a structured development, where components were broken down into smallest building blocks and assembled into more complex elements. The creation of a generic base layer paved the way for flexible reuse and accelerated the development of new brands. Special attention was paid to customizability through themes, making it easy for clients to effortlessly vary the look and feel of their brands. The base layer made it possible to create individual component libraries through simple theming. The integration of Storybook proved to be extremely helpful in facilitating coordination with stakeholders. Storybook acted not only as a documentation tool, but also as a branding tool to visualize and refine the look and feel of the brands. The architecture of the frontend was based on flexible microservices and frontends, which enabled scalable and independent development. The "headless first" approach was followed to ensure maximum flexibility. This approach allowed the frontend and backend to be updated and scaled independently of each other. Another important aspect was the "API First" approach, which ensured that the interfaces were clearly defined and prioritized. This promoted consistent communication between the various services and contributed to the seamless integration of new brands.
My Role
In my role as a front-end developer, my main task was to conceptually structure the layouts of the design agency in the first step in order to check a sensible integration or extension of the component library. To ensure smooth communication with the backend, the focus was on conceptualizing the API in close consultation with the backend team. Based on this, I added the necessary components to the library or extended it accordingly. To make the development status transparent, I integrated stories into the storybook for each component and for exemplary use cases. Code reviews as well as the creation of meaningful unit tests and snapshot tests were part of my everyday work.