Alan B Smith
@alanbsmith.bsky.social
👨💻 Principal Design System Engineer
🥃 Carb & cocktail fan account
🏔️ Boulder, CO
🅰️ Arsenal FC
⚽️ Il calcio é della gente
🥃 Carb & cocktail fan account
🏔️ Boulder, CO
🅰️ Arsenal FC
⚽️ Il calcio é della gente
Pinned
Alan B Smith
@alanbsmith.bsky.social
· Nov 7
Casual Chat - Alan B Smith
calendly.com
Hello 🦋!
I keep an open calendar to connect and keep up with friends in tech. Feel free to book some time if you’d like to talk design systems, strategy, frontend engineering, cocktails, baking, or just to say hello.
I’m also happy to chat here sync, if you’d like.
calendly.com/alanbsmith/c...
I keep an open calendar to connect and keep up with friends in tech. Feel free to book some time if you’d like to talk design systems, strategy, frontend engineering, cocktails, baking, or just to say hello.
I’m also happy to chat here sync, if you’d like.
calendly.com/alanbsmith/c...
November 9, 2025 at 10:22 PM
I asked a group of managers how they handle shutting their brains off when they have long-running tasks that don’t resolve quickly. They told me to write things down when they come up and get more sleep.
I’m here to report they were unfortunately correct. Jerks. 😂
I’m here to report they were unfortunately correct. Jerks. 😂
November 3, 2025 at 7:51 PM
I asked a group of managers how they handle shutting their brains off when they have long-running tasks that don’t resolve quickly. They told me to write things down when they come up and get more sleep.
I’m here to report they were unfortunately correct. Jerks. 😂
I’m here to report they were unfortunately correct. Jerks. 😂
Earlier in my career I would get frustrated by not having access to an important meeting or document. Now I’ve learned that access to walled information tends to have an expensive entrance fee.
Access isn’t a privilege, it’s more responsibility.
Access isn’t a privilege, it’s more responsibility.
October 31, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Earlier in my career I would get frustrated by not having access to an important meeting or document. Now I’ve learned that access to walled information tends to have an expensive entrance fee.
Access isn’t a privilege, it’s more responsibility.
Access isn’t a privilege, it’s more responsibility.
End of the sprint + end of the month + end of the quarter is like a perfect storm.
It’s been a week, y’all.
It’s been a week, y’all.
October 31, 2025 at 12:41 AM
End of the sprint + end of the month + end of the quarter is like a perfect storm.
It’s been a week, y’all.
It’s been a week, y’all.
A Fall classic: the Flannel Shirt.
October 25, 2025 at 12:44 AM
A Fall classic: the Flannel Shirt.
I don’t say enough about the importance of frontend platform engineers — they are a tremendous force. We can only do so much as design system engineers, but FE platform amplifies our impact across our ecosystem. It’s remarkable what they can do.
I’m very thankful for solid platform partners. 💪
I’m very thankful for solid platform partners. 💪
October 23, 2025 at 7:30 PM
I don’t say enough about the importance of frontend platform engineers — they are a tremendous force. We can only do so much as design system engineers, but FE platform amplifies our impact across our ecosystem. It’s remarkable what they can do.
I’m very thankful for solid platform partners. 💪
I’m very thankful for solid platform partners. 💪
We wrapped up our soccer season today. I coach because I love it, but these gifts are nice too. 🥰
October 18, 2025 at 9:11 PM
We wrapped up our soccer season today. I coach because I love it, but these gifts are nice too. 🥰
It’s wild to sit in a parent teacher meeting and hear eerily similar feedback to what you received when you were a kid. Like oh yeah, my brain works that way too. And I definitely struggled with the same issues in school.
October 7, 2025 at 4:45 PM
It’s wild to sit in a parent teacher meeting and hear eerily similar feedback to what you received when you were a kid. Like oh yeah, my brain works that way too. And I definitely struggled with the same issues in school.
These npm supply chain attacks have brought dependency bumps to and absolute standstill.
As someone working on a design system who desperately wants people to upgrade to the latest versions of our packages, this is a very frustrating setback. 😡
As someone working on a design system who desperately wants people to upgrade to the latest versions of our packages, this is a very frustrating setback. 😡
September 26, 2025 at 2:20 PM
These npm supply chain attacks have brought dependency bumps to and absolute standstill.
As someone working on a design system who desperately wants people to upgrade to the latest versions of our packages, this is a very frustrating setback. 😡
As someone working on a design system who desperately wants people to upgrade to the latest versions of our packages, this is a very frustrating setback. 😡
I read “Where the Axe is Buried” by Ray Nayler this year (which was great!), and then this happens — too real. #booksky
It’s a warning, not a manual, etc etc.
futurism.com/albania-diel...
It’s a warning, not a manual, etc etc.
futurism.com/albania-diel...
Leader of Albania Pelted With Trash for Appointing AI-Powered Minister to Cabinet
The virtual assistant Diella's "inaugural address" to the Albanian parliament was met with mixed enthusiasm by officials.
futurism.com
September 24, 2025 at 4:55 AM
I read “Where the Axe is Buried” by Ray Nayler this year (which was great!), and then this happens — too real. #booksky
It’s a warning, not a manual, etc etc.
futurism.com/albania-diel...
It’s a warning, not a manual, etc etc.
futurism.com/albania-diel...
Reposted by Alan B Smith
I wish I could clear my brain’s cache. I bet that’d feel so nice. tingly, probably.
September 19, 2025 at 12:42 AM
I wish I could clear my brain’s cache. I bet that’d feel so nice. tingly, probably.
You ever have one of those days where you’re not sure if you need more espresso or less espresso? That’s where I’m at.
September 16, 2025 at 3:23 PM
You ever have one of those days where you’re not sure if you need more espresso or less espresso? That’s where I’m at.
The genius of classic cocktails are the simple components which are thoughtfully composed.
September 16, 2025 at 2:46 AM
The genius of classic cocktails are the simple components which are thoughtfully composed.
If folks could stop with the supply chain attacks to npm deps, that would be great.
September 16, 2025 at 12:25 AM
If folks could stop with the supply chain attacks to npm deps, that would be great.
When I started working on Canvas Design System almost six years ago, we were only on v4, about to release v5. Today we shipped v14. Lots of unglamorous work in that time, but we’ve slowly made progress toward a system that works better for designers and engineers. Very proud of our team.
September 11, 2025 at 4:20 AM
When I started working on Canvas Design System almost six years ago, we were only on v4, about to release v5. Today we shipped v14. Lots of unglamorous work in that time, but we’ve slowly made progress toward a system that works better for designers and engineers. Very proud of our team.
Made some pies. 🍕
September 8, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Made some pies. 🍕
A nice personal milestone for learning Italian. ~50 hours / 130 lessons for 100 days. I’m also supplementing with audiobooks and podcasts which are helpful. 🇮🇹
September 7, 2025 at 2:20 PM
A nice personal milestone for learning Italian. ~50 hours / 130 lessons for 100 days. I’m also supplementing with audiobooks and podcasts which are helpful. 🇮🇹
Reposted by Alan B Smith
Malicious versions of the nx package + some packages under the @nx/* scope were published to npm.
The compromised versions scan the file system, search for credentials, and post them publicly to GitHub.
www.aikido.dev/blog/popular...
The compromised versions scan the file system, search for credentials, and post them publicly to GitHub.
www.aikido.dev/blog/popular...
Popular nx packages compromised on npm
The popular nx package on npm was compromised, and stolen data was published on GitHub publicly
www.aikido.dev
August 27, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Malicious versions of the nx package + some packages under the @nx/* scope were published to npm.
The compromised versions scan the file system, search for credentials, and post them publicly to GitHub.
www.aikido.dev/blog/popular...
The compromised versions scan the file system, search for credentials, and post them publicly to GitHub.
www.aikido.dev/blog/popular...
All these engineering management books exist, and there’s not nearly enough discourse on proper desk snacks.
August 27, 2025 at 3:36 AM
All these engineering management books exist, and there’s not nearly enough discourse on proper desk snacks.
40,000 people at a converted baseball field. The interest is there. Bay FC deserves a proper stadium.
Announced attendance at Oracle Park for Washington Spirit-Bay FC is 40,091, which sets a new single-game #NWSL attendance record. Previous mark was Bay-Chicago last year at Wrigley with 35,038.
A historic Starting XI moment in the Bay at Oracle Park!
August 23, 2025 at 9:54 PM
40,000 people at a converted baseball field. The interest is there. Bay FC deserves a proper stadium.
Carved a batch of ice cubes this week. Pretty happy with the result. Love how the cube disappears.
August 20, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Carved a batch of ice cubes this week. Pretty happy with the result. Love how the cube disappears.
A lesson from my years in tech: Always be very kind to your DevOps engineers and pay them whatever they want. They’re worth it.
August 19, 2025 at 11:10 PM
A lesson from my years in tech: Always be very kind to your DevOps engineers and pay them whatever they want. They’re worth it.
What am I most excited about this weekend?
- Making pizza
- Teaching six-year-olds to love soccer
LFG
- Making pizza
- Teaching six-year-olds to love soccer
LFG
August 15, 2025 at 11:22 PM
What am I most excited about this weekend?
- Making pizza
- Teaching six-year-olds to love soccer
LFG
- Making pizza
- Teaching six-year-olds to love soccer
LFG
My brain is currently stuck on the idea of “work mythologies” — internal stories that get passed along to explain odd product decisions, counterintuitive business logic, heroic last-ditch efforts, etc.
Businesses are complex entities we can’t fully comprehend, so we create stories to explain them.
Businesses are complex entities we can’t fully comprehend, so we create stories to explain them.
August 10, 2025 at 4:29 AM
My brain is currently stuck on the idea of “work mythologies” — internal stories that get passed along to explain odd product decisions, counterintuitive business logic, heroic last-ditch efforts, etc.
Businesses are complex entities we can’t fully comprehend, so we create stories to explain them.
Businesses are complex entities we can’t fully comprehend, so we create stories to explain them.