User contribution is at the heart of BUX. As a grassroots initiative, BUX thrives on collaboration from the Ohio State community to build and refine our shared design system. This system isn’t just a collection of components — it’s a living, evolving resource shaped by the people who use it every day. By inviting contributions from across campus, we aim to create a design system that reflects the diversity, creativity and expertise of Buckeyes everywhere.
Transparency and openness are core to our process. We believe that democratizing design and development leads to better outcomes for everyone. When more voices are involved, we gain richer perspectives, uncover new ideas and ensure that BUX remains relevant and accessible. This collaborative approach fosters connections between units, encourages knowledge sharing and empowers individuals to take ownership of the tools they rely on. Ultimately, BUX is built by Buckeyes, for Buckeyes — and your input makes that possible.
No matter your role or experience level, there’s a way for you to contribute. Whether you’re a designer, developer, content strategist or simply someone who uses BUX in your work, your feedback and ideas are valuable. Here are some ways you can get involved:
Design contributions
Help shape the visual and functional aspects of BUX. Designers can:
- Propose new components or patterns that solve needs for your unit and may benefit other units.
- Report if a component behaves unexpectedly or appears visually incorrect when adapting to different breakpoints.
Your design contributions help us create a system that is not only visually cohesive but also usable and accessible for everyone.
Code contributions
If you’re a developer, your skills can make a big impact. You can:
- Report bug fixes or enhancements to existing components.
- Build new components following our established conventions and best practices.
- Write or improve documentation and usage examples to make BUX easier for others to adopt.
By contributing code, you help strengthen the foundation of BUX and ensure it remains a reliable resource for the entire university. Start having a look at our codebase and issues on our University Code Repository (UCR), or join our Dev Guild!
Feedback and testing
Not a designer or developer? You can still play a critical role:
- Report bugs or inconsistencies you encounter.
- Participate in usability testing or accessibility audits.
- Share insights from your unit's usage — what works well, what could be better.
- Join the conversation in our Teams channel to ask questions or offer suggestions.
Your feedback helps us identify gaps, validate improvements and keep the system aligned with user needs.
Why your contribution matters
Every contribution—big or small—moves BUX forward. By participating, you’re helping create a design system that reflects the values of collaboration, inclusivity and innovation. Together, we can build tools that make digital experiences at Ohio State more consistent, accessible and user-friendly.
Ready to make an impact?
Here’s how you can get started:
- Send us feedback directly through our contact form.
- Join the conversation: Connect with us in the BUX Teams channel.
- Submit your ideas: Share your designs, code or feedback through our University Code Repository (UCR), bux@osu.edu or via Teams.
Your voice matters. Your ideas matter. Let’s build something great—together.