The document is a presentation by Ash Furrow about the fundamentals of Git and GitHub, designed to help designers collaborate more effectively. It explains the purpose of Git as a file management tool and describes concepts such as repositories, branches, commits, and pull requests. Additionally, it emphasizes that Git can be utilized without command-line interface tools, highlighting useful GUI alternatives.

1. GitHub for Designers
Ash Furrow, Teehan+Lax
@ashfurrow

3. Learn the fundamentals of git and GitHub in
order to better collaborate with teams.

4. Agenda
• Git & GitHub
• Git is a Tool for Managing Files
• The Fundamentals
• Using Git doesn’t Mean Using the Command
Line
4

5. Git & GitHub

6. Git & GitHub
• Git is a tool for managing files (more on that later)
• GitHub is a website for using git
6

7. Git & GitHub
• Git can be used independently of GitHub
• Even offline!
• This talk is about using Git & GitHub together
7

8. Git is a Tool for Managing Files

9. Git is a Tool for Managing Files
• Git manages simple files
• Text and flat graphics, not PSDs
• CSS, HTML, PNG
• PSDs are too complex for git to manage
• Use LayerVault, instead
9

10. Git is a Tool for Managing Files
• What does “manage” mean?
• History (who did what, and when?)
• Conflicts (multiple people modifying the
same file)
10

11. The Fundamentals
(More like FUNdamentals, amirite?)

12. Pulling Down from Remote
12
Your Branch
master
master
remote
local
Your Branch
Pull Request
PushPull Pull

13. A Repose About Repos
• A repository – or “repo” – is a home for git to
put all its files
• Repos can exist locally (on your computer) or
remotely (on GitHub) – more on this later
13

14. Branches
• Hard to define
• Branches are used to isolate changes to files
• Branches are cheap
• Create lots of ‘em
• Ideally one for each new feature/bug fix
14

15. Branching
• Creating a new branch is called “branching”
• Branch to create new features
• Create new branches off of “master” branch
• Master is the canonical branch
• “Latest and Greatest”
15

16. Branching
• File system metaphor
16

17. Branching
17
Your Branch
master
Creating a new branch

18. Commits
• When you’ve completed a feature or a fix,
make a commit
• Commits are snapshots of the staged
changes you made
• Not all changes need to be committed
18

19. Committing
• Branches are just a series of commits
• Committing enters that commit into the git log
• You can see who changed what, and when
19

20. Committing
• Commits include a “commit message”
describing the changes
20

21. Committing
1. Stage changes
2. Commit staged changes
21

22. Committing
22
Your Branch
master
commit 1 commit 2

23. Local vs. Remote
• The master branch exists locally (on your
computer) and remotely (on GitHub)
• Your new branch exists only locally
23

24. Local vs. Remote
• File server metaphor
24

25. Local vs. Remote
• All work is done locally on local branches
• When ready, you “push” a branch to the remote
• More on pushing shortly
25

26. Local vs. Remote
• Where did “master” come from?
• The remote
26

27. Pulling & Pushing
27
Your Branch
master
master
remote
local
Pull

28. Pulling & Pushing
• Transitive verbs
• Pushing/pulling depends on context
28

29. Pulling & Pushing
1. Pull master from GitHub
2. Branch
3. Make commits
4. Push branch to GitHub
29

30. Pulling & Pushing
30
Your Branch
master
master
remote
local
Your Branch
PushPull

31. Pull Requests
• Pull requests are requests to have changes
“pulled” into another branch, usually master
• Pull requests exist only on GitHub
• “Request” because someone else is looking it
over for mistakes
• Not that you ever make those
31

32. Pull Requests
• Designate someone on your team as a
“Gatekeeper”
32

33. Pull Requests
33
Your Branch
master
master
remote
local
Your Branch
Pull Request
PushPull

34. Pull Requests
• Now all of your changes exist on master
• Only the remote master
• You need to “pull” master down again
34

35. Pulling Down from Remote
35
Your Branch
master
master
remote
local
Your Branch
Pull Request
PushPull Pull

36. Cloning

37. Cloning
• Copies the remote repo to your local
• Only done once per repo
• “Initial Setup”
37

38. Pulling & Pushing
1. Clone
2. Pull master from GitHub
3. Branch
4. Make commits
5. Push branch to GitHub
6. Pull Request
38

39. Issues
• GitHub has “Issues”
• Issues are conversations about the code
• Bugs, features, improvements, etc...
• You can reference issues in commit messages
39

40. Issues
40

41. Conflicts

42. Conflicts
• Sometimes files conflict
• Git will usually sort it out
• Sometimes it can’t
42

43. Conflicts
<<<<<<< HEAD
Hello world
=======
Goodbye
>>>>>>> some_other_branch_name
43

44. Using Git doesn’t Mean Using
the Command Line

45. Using Git doesn’t Mean Using the Command Line
• There are powerful, GUI tools for using git
• Git Tower
• GitHub for Mac
• SourceTree
45

46. Using Git doesn’t Mean Using the Command Line
• Important: all these tools rely on the
fundamentals we learnt earlier
46

47. Demo

48. Recap
• Git & GitHub
• Git is a Tool for Managing Files
• The Fundamentals
• Using Git doesn’t Mean Using the Command
Line
48

49. Ash Furrow
October 3, 2013
Thanks!