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Design System
Design Guide
Visual Design
Design Process
Product Design
ARTICLE #125
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Design System: A step-by-step guide to build the best one
Design System
Design Guide
Visual Design
Design Process
Product Design
Written by:
5 min read
Updated on: October 18, 2024
Toni Hukkanen
Head of Design
Creative Direction, Brand Direction
Toni Hukkanen
Head of Design
Creative Direction, Brand Direction
Toni Hukkanen
Head of Design
Creative Direction, Brand Direction
It is great to build new design elements, but do you know what is even better? Automating the practice for the next person and that is what a design system does.
A design system is an unsung hero of the products we use every day. It serves as the DNA for product design, encoding principles and elements to define the user experience. From colours and icons to buttons and language, design systems prevent a crisis of inconsistency.
Endless design possibilities only sound good in theory, but in practice, they can lead to frustration and time consumption. Design systems help designers and developers create consistent and cohesive user experiences across a company's services and products. In this detailed guide, we have covered a lot of information related to building design systems and their right implementation.
It is great to build new design elements, but do you know what is even better? Automating the practice for the next person and that is what a design system does.
A design system is an unsung hero of the products we use every day. It serves as the DNA for product design, encoding principles and elements to define the user experience. From colours and icons to buttons and language, design systems prevent a crisis of inconsistency.
Endless design possibilities only sound good in theory, but in practice, they can lead to frustration and time consumption. Design systems help designers and developers create consistent and cohesive user experiences across a company's services and products. In this detailed guide, we have covered a lot of information related to building design systems and their right implementation.
It is great to build new design elements, but do you know what is even better? Automating the practice for the next person and that is what a design system does.
A design system is an unsung hero of the products we use every day. It serves as the DNA for product design, encoding principles and elements to define the user experience. From colours and icons to buttons and language, design systems prevent a crisis of inconsistency.
Endless design possibilities only sound good in theory, but in practice, they can lead to frustration and time consumption. Design systems help designers and developers create consistent and cohesive user experiences across a company's services and products. In this detailed guide, we have covered a lot of information related to building design systems and their right implementation.
What is a design system?
What is a design system?
What is a design system?
A design system is a set of reusable components that are most likely to be repeated throughout the design process. It maintains visual and functional elements of a company in one place.
The main purpose of a design system is to fulfil its brand principles through the design, realisation, and development of services and products. It is like a brand blueprint that brings order in chaos by adding everything from Sketch library and a style guide to a pattern library and company principles.
Effective planning is essential for building a successful design system. Follow this 10-step guide to create your own design system.
A design system is a set of reusable components that are most likely to be repeated throughout the design process. It maintains visual and functional elements of a company in one place.
The main purpose of a design system is to fulfil its brand principles through the design, realisation, and development of services and products. It is like a brand blueprint that brings order in chaos by adding everything from Sketch library and a style guide to a pattern library and company principles.
Effective planning is essential for building a successful design system. Follow this 10-step guide to create your own design system.
A design system is a set of reusable components that are most likely to be repeated throughout the design process. It maintains visual and functional elements of a company in one place.
The main purpose of a design system is to fulfil its brand principles through the design, realisation, and development of services and products. It is like a brand blueprint that brings order in chaos by adding everything from Sketch library and a style guide to a pattern library and company principles.
Effective planning is essential for building a successful design system. Follow this 10-step guide to create your own design system.
1. Define the goals of your design system
The first step in creating a design system is to define its goals. Understand your company's business objectives and analyse how your design system will support them.
Those solutions should increase brand consistency, improve user experience, and align development processes, all of which contribute to the success of your company.
You should also consider the needs of your team from a design system. To find this, do some market research to understand the pain points and preferences of users. Once you know what their expectations are, you can create better and measurable goals.
The first step in creating a design system is to define its goals. Understand your company's business objectives and analyse how your design system will support them.
Those solutions should increase brand consistency, improve user experience, and align development processes, all of which contribute to the success of your company.
You should also consider the needs of your team from a design system. To find this, do some market research to understand the pain points and preferences of users. Once you know what their expectations are, you can create better and measurable goals.
The first step in creating a design system is to define its goals. Understand your company's business objectives and analyse how your design system will support them.
Those solutions should increase brand consistency, improve user experience, and align development processes, all of which contribute to the success of your company.
You should also consider the needs of your team from a design system. To find this, do some market research to understand the pain points and preferences of users. Once you know what their expectations are, you can create better and measurable goals.
2. Audit current design assets and processes
To better understand the kind of design system you would like to implement, review and analyse the current approach for design within your company. Evaluate what you currently have, what elements you like, and which ones you want to replace.
It'd be better to create a small set of predefined options for things like colour, typography, and spacing instead of choosing from unlimited options. Limiting your options will help improve consistency and speed up the decision-making process.
These predefined reusable options are also called tokens. Your design system will contain lots of tokens that you can reuse throughout the company. You will add code snippets, examples, and other documentation for each token to help people use them correctly.
Though some companies prefer to build a design system from scratch, Frontify is a ready-made solution that allows you to focus on the content rather than the tedious work of setting up something new.
To better understand the kind of design system you would like to implement, review and analyse the current approach for design within your company. Evaluate what you currently have, what elements you like, and which ones you want to replace.
It'd be better to create a small set of predefined options for things like colour, typography, and spacing instead of choosing from unlimited options. Limiting your options will help improve consistency and speed up the decision-making process.
These predefined reusable options are also called tokens. Your design system will contain lots of tokens that you can reuse throughout the company. You will add code snippets, examples, and other documentation for each token to help people use them correctly.
Though some companies prefer to build a design system from scratch, Frontify is a ready-made solution that allows you to focus on the content rather than the tedious work of setting up something new.
To better understand the kind of design system you would like to implement, review and analyse the current approach for design within your company. Evaluate what you currently have, what elements you like, and which ones you want to replace.
It'd be better to create a small set of predefined options for things like colour, typography, and spacing instead of choosing from unlimited options. Limiting your options will help improve consistency and speed up the decision-making process.
These predefined reusable options are also called tokens. Your design system will contain lots of tokens that you can reuse throughout the company. You will add code snippets, examples, and other documentation for each token to help people use them correctly.
Though some companies prefer to build a design system from scratch, Frontify is a ready-made solution that allows you to focus on the content rather than the tedious work of setting up something new.
3. Create a visual design language
You might already have a brand style guide or brand guidelines to document some of the visual aspects of your brand, such as logos, colours, and typography. You can use it as a starting point for developing a design language to help your teams create a cohesive and consistent visual experience for your website, product, or app. You can also spot duplicates and redundancies used by different teams or on different projects.
Your visual design language should include icons, colour palettes, typography, and spacing. These elements create your brand's overall look and feel.
You might already have a brand style guide or brand guidelines to document some of the visual aspects of your brand, such as logos, colours, and typography. You can use it as a starting point for developing a design language to help your teams create a cohesive and consistent visual experience for your website, product, or app. You can also spot duplicates and redundancies used by different teams or on different projects.
Your visual design language should include icons, colour palettes, typography, and spacing. These elements create your brand's overall look and feel.
You might already have a brand style guide or brand guidelines to document some of the visual aspects of your brand, such as logos, colours, and typography. You can use it as a starting point for developing a design language to help your teams create a cohesive and consistent visual experience for your website, product, or app. You can also spot duplicates and redundancies used by different teams or on different projects.
Your visual design language should include icons, colour palettes, typography, and spacing. These elements create your brand's overall look and feel.
4. Establish design principles and guidelines
The biggest challenge faced by most designers is creating appropriate principles and guidelines. Sometimes, designers follow the guidelines but somehow deviate from them at some point. To prevent this, either guidelines should be more clear or designers shouldn't make any mistakes.
Design principles establish a solid foundation for your design system and should reflect the ethos and values of your brand. To make this possible, collaborate with stakeholders across the business to find and articulate these principles.
Bringing different perspectives will ensure they match well with design, development, and product teams. You may also want to include factors like usability, accessibility, scalability, and brand identity.
It is always wise to define these guiding principles early to provide designers and developers with a decision framework that allows them to make informed decisions aligning with your design system's overall vision and purpose.
The biggest challenge faced by most designers is creating appropriate principles and guidelines. Sometimes, designers follow the guidelines but somehow deviate from them at some point. To prevent this, either guidelines should be more clear or designers shouldn't make any mistakes.
Design principles establish a solid foundation for your design system and should reflect the ethos and values of your brand. To make this possible, collaborate with stakeholders across the business to find and articulate these principles.
Bringing different perspectives will ensure they match well with design, development, and product teams. You may also want to include factors like usability, accessibility, scalability, and brand identity.
It is always wise to define these guiding principles early to provide designers and developers with a decision framework that allows them to make informed decisions aligning with your design system's overall vision and purpose.
The biggest challenge faced by most designers is creating appropriate principles and guidelines. Sometimes, designers follow the guidelines but somehow deviate from them at some point. To prevent this, either guidelines should be more clear or designers shouldn't make any mistakes.
Design principles establish a solid foundation for your design system and should reflect the ethos and values of your brand. To make this possible, collaborate with stakeholders across the business to find and articulate these principles.
Bringing different perspectives will ensure they match well with design, development, and product teams. You may also want to include factors like usability, accessibility, scalability, and brand identity.
It is always wise to define these guiding principles early to provide designers and developers with a decision framework that allows them to make informed decisions aligning with your design system's overall vision and purpose.
5. Develop reusable UI components
Another great part of building your design system is to create reusable modules or components. Create the smallest components first, such as buttons, form input fields, and avatars. Then, combine these small components to create larger and more complex ones. In the end, arrange these components in specific layouts to create reusable page templates. Make sure to create these components in a reusable format and also include code snippets.
The primary goal here is to create a collection of all components, also known as a UI kit or a component library. These compiled components will give your designers and developers a library of reusable assets to improve consistency and efficiency across different departments and projects as basic building blocks for their work.
Another great part of building your design system is to create reusable modules or components. Create the smallest components first, such as buttons, form input fields, and avatars. Then, combine these small components to create larger and more complex ones. In the end, arrange these components in specific layouts to create reusable page templates. Make sure to create these components in a reusable format and also include code snippets.
The primary goal here is to create a collection of all components, also known as a UI kit or a component library. These compiled components will give your designers and developers a library of reusable assets to improve consistency and efficiency across different departments and projects as basic building blocks for their work.
Another great part of building your design system is to create reusable modules or components. Create the smallest components first, such as buttons, form input fields, and avatars. Then, combine these small components to create larger and more complex ones. In the end, arrange these components in specific layouts to create reusable page templates. Make sure to create these components in a reusable format and also include code snippets.
The primary goal here is to create a collection of all components, also known as a UI kit or a component library. These compiled components will give your designers and developers a library of reusable assets to improve consistency and efficiency across different departments and projects as basic building blocks for their work.
6. Create detailed documentation
Documentation acts as the backbone of a project, containing a clear set of guidelines for designers and developers to understand. These documents contain all the information about the steps to build the design system. This documentation also removes confusion and makes a solid strategy.
Understanding every aspect of the design process can be challenging, and that's where documentation comes into play. It broadens your perspective and allows you to see hidden things. Over time, developers become habitual in considering even the smallest of guidelines.
Lastly, documentation also helps create new design patterns to boost software quality. So, make sure it covers everything from components to guidelines, examples of components, links related to patterns, and user suggestions.
Documentation acts as the backbone of a project, containing a clear set of guidelines for designers and developers to understand. These documents contain all the information about the steps to build the design system. This documentation also removes confusion and makes a solid strategy.
Understanding every aspect of the design process can be challenging, and that's where documentation comes into play. It broadens your perspective and allows you to see hidden things. Over time, developers become habitual in considering even the smallest of guidelines.
Lastly, documentation also helps create new design patterns to boost software quality. So, make sure it covers everything from components to guidelines, examples of components, links related to patterns, and user suggestions.
Documentation acts as the backbone of a project, containing a clear set of guidelines for designers and developers to understand. These documents contain all the information about the steps to build the design system. This documentation also removes confusion and makes a solid strategy.
Understanding every aspect of the design process can be challenging, and that's where documentation comes into play. It broadens your perspective and allows you to see hidden things. Over time, developers become habitual in considering even the smallest of guidelines.
Lastly, documentation also helps create new design patterns to boost software quality. So, make sure it covers everything from components to guidelines, examples of components, links related to patterns, and user suggestions.
7. Build and teach your design system team
You might have built a design system team in the initial steps with a group of developers, designers, and product managers. Now, it's time to teach them how to create a design that will make your system successful.
Start by filling out the knowledge gaps by assessing them on different levels. This assessment will help you clearly understand how much training they need or even if they need any.
Provide them equal learning opportunities by giving them access to certain online resources to boost their skills. You can also allow them to copy the design strategy. It'd be great to add someone from leadership to secure buy-in for the project as required.
You might have built a design system team in the initial steps with a group of developers, designers, and product managers. Now, it's time to teach them how to create a design that will make your system successful.
Start by filling out the knowledge gaps by assessing them on different levels. This assessment will help you clearly understand how much training they need or even if they need any.
Provide them equal learning opportunities by giving them access to certain online resources to boost their skills. You can also allow them to copy the design strategy. It'd be great to add someone from leadership to secure buy-in for the project as required.
You might have built a design system team in the initial steps with a group of developers, designers, and product managers. Now, it's time to teach them how to create a design that will make your system successful.
Start by filling out the knowledge gaps by assessing them on different levels. This assessment will help you clearly understand how much training they need or even if they need any.
Provide them equal learning opportunities by giving them access to certain online resources to boost their skills. You can also allow them to copy the design strategy. It'd be great to add someone from leadership to secure buy-in for the project as required.
8. Implement your design system
After building your design system, reusable components, and documentation and training your team, you need to ensure engagement with it. Your product, design, and development will need to adopt it, so take their help for implementation.
Help them get ideas about how to access and collaborate with it. You can also run workshops or drop-in sessions so new users can ask for support. If your team uses your design system every day, it will clearly indicate its success.
For better results, you should also introduce it during onboarding and make sure your teams make it a part of their core workflows for development and UI/UX projects.
After building your design system, reusable components, and documentation and training your team, you need to ensure engagement with it. Your product, design, and development will need to adopt it, so take their help for implementation.
Help them get ideas about how to access and collaborate with it. You can also run workshops or drop-in sessions so new users can ask for support. If your team uses your design system every day, it will clearly indicate its success.
For better results, you should also introduce it during onboarding and make sure your teams make it a part of their core workflows for development and UI/UX projects.
After building your design system, reusable components, and documentation and training your team, you need to ensure engagement with it. Your product, design, and development will need to adopt it, so take their help for implementation.
Help them get ideas about how to access and collaborate with it. You can also run workshops or drop-in sessions so new users can ask for support. If your team uses your design system every day, it will clearly indicate its success.
For better results, you should also introduce it during onboarding and make sure your teams make it a part of their core workflows for development and UI/UX projects.
9. Monitor design system adoption
The right way to measure the successful adoption of your design system is to find out whether people are using it. You should also consider how it is changing the design, development, and collaboration processes of your company.
To understand your system's effectiveness, you can track metrics and KPIs, such as component and pattern use, the total number of visits to documents, the adoption rate of the design system, time spent creating new components, time saved using existing components, and consistency in UI/UX.
The right way to measure the successful adoption of your design system is to find out whether people are using it. You should also consider how it is changing the design, development, and collaboration processes of your company.
To understand your system's effectiveness, you can track metrics and KPIs, such as component and pattern use, the total number of visits to documents, the adoption rate of the design system, time spent creating new components, time saved using existing components, and consistency in UI/UX.
The right way to measure the successful adoption of your design system is to find out whether people are using it. You should also consider how it is changing the design, development, and collaboration processes of your company.
To understand your system's effectiveness, you can track metrics and KPIs, such as component and pattern use, the total number of visits to documents, the adoption rate of the design system, time spent creating new components, time saved using existing components, and consistency in UI/UX.
10. Maintain and improve your design system
A design system is not a one-and-done project. It is important to review and update it regularly to evolve to your brand, processes, and trends.
Schedule periodic audits
You can do it by scheduling periodic audits. These could be annually, semi-annually, or aligned with major product release cycles. Take advantage of these audits to assess your system's current efficacy, alignment, and relevance to user needs and business objectives.
Gather feedback
Try to create channels to collect feedback from developers, designers, product managers, and users to identify emerging needs, pain points, and opportunities for improvement.
Implement a governance model
You will need to define roles and responsibilities and set standards for proposing and reviewing updates. This includes establishing a process to integrate and document these changes.
Document and communicate updates
Every updated and changed information in the design system should be documented and communicated across the team. It will make all team members aware of the latest guidelines so they can apply them consistently in their work.
Use version control
For a better outcome, use version control to manage changes to your design system. With version control, you can track updates, revert changes if needed, and maintain a clear history of the evolution of the system.
A design system is not a one-and-done project. It is important to review and update it regularly to evolve to your brand, processes, and trends.
Schedule periodic audits
You can do it by scheduling periodic audits. These could be annually, semi-annually, or aligned with major product release cycles. Take advantage of these audits to assess your system's current efficacy, alignment, and relevance to user needs and business objectives.
Gather feedback
Try to create channels to collect feedback from developers, designers, product managers, and users to identify emerging needs, pain points, and opportunities for improvement.
Implement a governance model
You will need to define roles and responsibilities and set standards for proposing and reviewing updates. This includes establishing a process to integrate and document these changes.
Document and communicate updates
Every updated and changed information in the design system should be documented and communicated across the team. It will make all team members aware of the latest guidelines so they can apply them consistently in their work.
Use version control
For a better outcome, use version control to manage changes to your design system. With version control, you can track updates, revert changes if needed, and maintain a clear history of the evolution of the system.
A design system is not a one-and-done project. It is important to review and update it regularly to evolve to your brand, processes, and trends.
Schedule periodic audits
You can do it by scheduling periodic audits. These could be annually, semi-annually, or aligned with major product release cycles. Take advantage of these audits to assess your system's current efficacy, alignment, and relevance to user needs and business objectives.
Gather feedback
Try to create channels to collect feedback from developers, designers, product managers, and users to identify emerging needs, pain points, and opportunities for improvement.
Implement a governance model
You will need to define roles and responsibilities and set standards for proposing and reviewing updates. This includes establishing a process to integrate and document these changes.
Document and communicate updates
Every updated and changed information in the design system should be documented and communicated across the team. It will make all team members aware of the latest guidelines so they can apply them consistently in their work.
Use version control
For a better outcome, use version control to manage changes to your design system. With version control, you can track updates, revert changes if needed, and maintain a clear history of the evolution of the system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a successful design system?
A successful design system is reusable, solid, and well-documented, regardless of the types of tools used during the process. It can also make the design process more efficient and cost-effective.
What is the main purpose of the design system?
The purpose of a design system is to supplement the system architecture by providing useful and necessary data and information for implementing the system elements. It also keeps the look and feel of products and experiences consistent.
What is the 5-step design thinking process?
The five-step design thinking process includes:
Empathise
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test
Final Thoughts
Though design systems are a relatively new addition to the world of digital design, they are already proving to be game-changing. They have the power to transform a typical company into a powerful product design force. If you have poorly implemented and maintained your design system, it will become an unwieldy collection of codes and components. However, if implemented well, it can educate team members and enable designers to handle complex UX problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a successful design system?
A successful design system is reusable, solid, and well-documented, regardless of the types of tools used during the process. It can also make the design process more efficient and cost-effective.
What is the main purpose of the design system?
The purpose of a design system is to supplement the system architecture by providing useful and necessary data and information for implementing the system elements. It also keeps the look and feel of products and experiences consistent.
What is the 5-step design thinking process?
The five-step design thinking process includes:
Empathise
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test
Final Thoughts
Though design systems are a relatively new addition to the world of digital design, they are already proving to be game-changing. They have the power to transform a typical company into a powerful product design force. If you have poorly implemented and maintained your design system, it will become an unwieldy collection of codes and components. However, if implemented well, it can educate team members and enable designers to handle complex UX problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a successful design system?
A successful design system is reusable, solid, and well-documented, regardless of the types of tools used during the process. It can also make the design process more efficient and cost-effective.
What is the main purpose of the design system?
The purpose of a design system is to supplement the system architecture by providing useful and necessary data and information for implementing the system elements. It also keeps the look and feel of products and experiences consistent.
What is the 5-step design thinking process?
The five-step design thinking process includes:
Empathise
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test
Final Thoughts
Though design systems are a relatively new addition to the world of digital design, they are already proving to be game-changing. They have the power to transform a typical company into a powerful product design force. If you have poorly implemented and maintained your design system, it will become an unwieldy collection of codes and components. However, if implemented well, it can educate team members and enable designers to handle complex UX problems.
ARTICLE #125
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- FOR® Brand. FOR® Future.
We’re remote-first — with strategic global hubs
Click to copy
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info@for.fi
Click to copy
New York, NY
ny@for.co
Click to copy
Miami, FL
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Click to copy
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Click to copy
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Copyright © 2024 FOR®
Work with us
Click to copy
work@for.co
FOR® Industries
We’re remote-first — with strategic global hubs
Click to copy
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Click to copy
New York, NY
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Click to copy
Miami, FL
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Click to copy
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Click to copy
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