01 BLUF
The Bottom Line:
- Redesigned the official Ruby on Rails documentation guides, replacing a layout unchanged since 2009
- Delivered IA, UX, visual design, and full front-end build within the Rails repository
- Part of a larger Rails Foundation initiative; collaborated with Amanda Perino and core team members (Carlos Antonio, DHH)
- Design started January 2024, build mid-February, public PR review by end of March
02 Our Role
Information Architecture, UX, Visual Design, Front-End Build
03 The Details
Meticulous shipped our first Rails-based project in late 2005, right around the release of version 1.0, and we've been avid users of the framework ever since. When the Rails Foundation needed to modernize the official Guides, we were excited to contribute.
The Challenge
The Rails Guides layout dated back to 2009. While the main RubyonRails.org site had been recently refreshed, the Guides still used outdated markup and styling—lacking modern semantic HTML and CSS techniques, inconsistent with the updated Rails brand, and showing navigation and content issues throughout.
Our Approach
Working with Amanda Perino at the Rails Foundation, we redesigned the Guides from the ground up. This was part of a larger initiative where other contractors were simultaneously rewriting and expanding guide content.
Meticulous handled information architecture, UX, and visual design, then executed the full front-end build directly in the Rails repository. Code reviews came from various core team members, including Carlos and DHH. The collaborative, open-source nature of the project meant incorporating feedback from community members through pull requests and reviews.
Rails Guides before (L) and after (R) in light and dark mode.
- The redesigned Guides launched in early 2024, bringing improved legibility, modern markup, and visual consistency with the Rails brand. Community response was positive.