Design systems are an integral part of UX/UI design that help a team or organization stay aligned. The larger your team, the more important it is to have a clear and thorough design system that keeps all designers and developers on the same page.
So, what's a design system? Think of it as the ultimate toolkit for anyone building a digital product, like an app or website. It's basically a collection of all the reusable pieces (like buttons, menus, icons) and the rules (like colors, fonts, spacing) on how to use them. Everyone on the team uses this kit, which keeps things looking consistent and makes building stuff way faster.
Your websites and apps will look and feel like they belong together. This stops users from getting confused and makes your brand feel solid and reliable.
Teams can create things much quicker because they have ready-made parts and clear rules to follow. No more reinventing the wheel for every little thing means less wasted time and faster launches.
When you need to add features or build new products, having a design system makes it much easier to grow without things getting messy or inconsistent. It provides a solid foundation to build upon.
Designers, developers, and everyone else involved are all using the same playbook. This means less confusion, fewer arguments, and smoother work getting done together.
Design systems often include guidelines to help make sure your products are easy to use for everyone, including people with disabilities. It helps bake accessibility in from the start.
It usually involves steps like these:
First up, you need to figure out what you already have. Go through your current websites and apps and gather everything – all the different buttons, colors, text styles, icons, layout patterns, etc. Just get it all in one place so you can see what you're working with. It might be messy, and that's okay!
Look closely at everything you collected. Which parts are working well? Where are the big inconsistencies? Are things easy for users? Does it match your brand? This is where you decide what to keep, what needs tweaking, and what needs to go.
Based on your review, start defining the official styles and guidelines. Choose your main color palette, pick the standard fonts and sizes, decide on the icon style, set rules for
spacing and layout. This becomes your core Style Guide.
Now it's time to actually create the reusable pieces – the official buttons, forms, menus, cards, etc. These need to be designed and usually coded so they can be easily dropped into projects. This collection is your Component Library.
A system is only useful if people know how to use it! Write clear, simple guides explaining the style rules and how/when to use each component. Include examples (do this, not that), maybe some code snippets for developers, and tips for accessibility. Documentation is crucial to ensuring that the design system is understandable to all members of the team, present and future.
A design system isn't a "set it and forget it" thing. Products change, styles evolve. You need a plan (and maybe a dedicated team) to keep the system updated, fix bugs, add new things as needed, and make sure it stays useful and doesn’t become obsolete as your product grows.
You don't necessarily need fancy tools, especially when starting, but certain software can make creating and managing a design system way easier. People often mix and match tools like these:
The exact tools aren't as important as having a clear process. Teams pick whatever works best for their workflow and budget!
Lots of companies share their design systems publicly. Checking them out can give you great ideas. You probably don’t need to build one as robust as the big ones you’ll come across on the web, but it can be useful to see how mature design teams build and document theirs. Here are a few well-known design systems as a starting point:
Looking at these can show you different ways to organize components, write documentation, and handle specific design challenges.
At its heart, a design system is that super useful, central toolkit holding all the reusable parts and rules for building a company's websites or apps.
And as we can see, having one makes building things faster (efficiency!), ensures everything matches (consistency!), helps teams work together better (collaboration!), and makes it easier to grow your products without chaos (scalability!).
While setting up and maintaining a design system will take some work upfront, the payoff cannot be overstated. You save time, reduce headaches, and ultimately create better, more user-friendly digital products. For teams serious about building great online experiences, it's usually well worth the effort.
Putting together a solid design system involves quite a few moving parts – from design rules to coded components and clear documentation. If tackling that sounds a bit daunting, you don't have to do it alone.
Tokyo Techies specializes in the technical and design aspects of creating these systems. We can help you plan, build, and maintain a design system that fits your team's specific needs. Get in touch with us to learn more about how we can help streamline your design and development process.
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