Create UI kit 18.5 release notes

Release notes cover all files in the Figma UI kit. These include those used by GitLab team members, and files published to the community.

Figma UI kit files	Published to community
📙 Component library Design tokens Patterns and Page Templates Annotations and utilities Data Visualization GitLab Product Icons GitLab Product Illustrations	📙 Component library GitLab Product Icons

Before you start:

• View the release process for detailed information about formatting the release notes.
• View the latest release notes to familiarize yourself with recent changes.

Figma UI Kit release notes tasks

Complete the following items for each release:

Figma release notes tasks:

• Ensure all merges have a description of the merge in the version history.
• Generate the release notes with the UI kit release notes automation.
• Review and edit the release notes:
  • Ensure all changes to the Figma UI kit files are documented in the release notes.
  • Check updates to the release notes for accuracy.
  • Include reference links when necessary.
  • Ensure release note items share consistent formatting.
  • Consider combining related updates into a single item when the changes happen in the same release.

Publish Figma libraries:

• ⚠️ Important: If components or styles have been moved between libraries, publish them first by following the moving components and moving styles recommended workflows.
• Publish any libraries with changes. When applicable, the Design tokens library should be published first, followed by the 📙 Component library.
• Check for incoming updates to other Figma UI kit files that consume the published libraries. Review, apply, and publish these updates. Add release notes when needed.

Publish release notes:

• Create a new issue for next milestone's release notes, assigning to a DRI for the release.
• Proceed with a maintainer review and merge of the release notes.

Wrap up:

• Ask a Figma admin to publish update to the 📙 Component library community file. Keep the existing metadata.
• Export the Design tokens, 📙 Component library, and Data Visualization libraries for Figma Make.
• Create a merge request to back up .fig files of any changed UI kit file to the /ui-kit folder in the Pajamas project.