On Design Systems

Design systems have become an essential part of modern product development. They provide a shared language between designers and developers, ensuring consistency across products and speeding up the development process.

However, building a design system is not just about creating a component library. It's about establishing principles, documenting decisions, and creating a culture of collaboration.

Starting Small

The best design systems start small. Rather than trying to document everything upfront, focus on the components and patterns that are used most frequently. This allows you to iterate quickly and gather feedback from your team.

Documentation Matters

A design system is only as good as its documentation. Every component should have clear guidelines on when to use it, how to use it, and what variations are available. Good documentation reduces ambiguity and helps team members make consistent decisions.

Evolution Over Revolution

Design systems should evolve gradually. Avoid making breaking changes whenever possible. Instead, deprecate old patterns and introduce new ones alongside them, giving teams time to migrate.

The goal is not perfection but progress. A design system that is used imperfectly is better than one that is perfect but ignored.