Hack for LA

Hack for LA works with the City of Los Angeles to identify civic tech needs and opportunities for collaboration.  We're really excited that the City's Information Technology Agency has reached out to the Hack for LA community for feedback and participation in the new citywide web style guide.  This style guide/ design template will be used to transition more than 20 City department websites off of obsolete platforms and onto Drupal - and it's giving the City the opportunity to rethink its visual identity online.  We want the design to be functional, beautiful, and prioritize accessibility and usability.  LA has some of the best designers on the planet - and we want our City websites to be the best they can be - to do that, we need your input!

Here's the style guide: http://contact.lacity.org/style/.

Here are ways you can participate in this process

Participate

1. The City has set up an account on Git (works like GitHub) where you can make suggestions to the style guide directly - Instructions are below (or under the "eye" symbol in the upper right of the style guide nav menu)
2. If you're a designer who's not comfortable with using git, or writing the html/css, you can send ideas, thoughts, mockups, etc. to [email protected].  We'll compile your comments and share with the City on Friday

Contributing to the City's Style Guide

Software Requirements

Install the following in the order listed:

• Git 
  https://git-scm.com/downloads
  For Windows : Make sure you select “Use Git from the Windows Command Prompt”
  
  
• PHP 5.3+
  For Windows: http://windows.php.net/download/#php-5.5
  For Mac OS X, PHP already installed
  
  
• Ruby
  https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/documentation/installation/#homebrew
  
  
• Sass
  http://sass-lang.com/install
  
  
• Compass
  http://thesassway.com/beginner/getting-started-with-sass-and-compass

GitLab.com Instructions

1. Create a free GitLab.com account and sign in
   https://gitlab.com/users/sign_in
   
   
2. Go to the ITA LA City Patterns GitLab.com Repo
   https://gitlab.com/itawebservices/lacitypatterns
   
   
3. Fork the repo to your account ( The Fork link is in the top right of the page )
   
   
4. Run the following Git Commands from the command line
   Bring in the forked repo locally
     git clone [fork-repo-url]
   Branch off of Master with your own branch 
     git checkout -b [branch-name]
   Add an Upstream Remote
     git remote add upstream https://gitlab.com/itawebservices/lacitypatterns.git

Pattern Lab Instructions

The LA City Style Guide is built using Pattern Lab.  Those new to Pattern Lab should get more acquainted with its structure with the instructions below:

• Go to the Pattern Lab site for documentation
  http://patternlab.io/docs/index.html
• Once the LACity Patterns repo is cloned locally open the “lacitypatterns” folder
  rename the “_public” folder to “public”
• Use the command line to run Compass Watch on the “source” folder in “lacitypatterns”
  compass watch
  Leave the Compass watch terminal window open
• Use the command line to generate and watch the “lacitypatterns” folder
  php core/builder.php -w -r
  Leave the PHP watch command terminal window open
• Edit the files in the “source” folder ONLY 
• Work on LACity Patterns files. Upon save, the Compass and PHP watch commands will run and rewrite the “public” folder
• Run the following Git Commands from the command line
  Commit your changes to your own forked repo
    git add [files-to-add] or git add -A
    git commit -m "Commit message"
    git push origin [branch-name] -u