Design Systems
What is a Design System?
A Design System is a collection of reusable design components and styles governed by clear standards. All of them can be assembled together to build any number of products (and not only designs). When designing an app, website or any digital product, it is vital to build it for scale.
Producing only the components and style guides may not be enough. You may want to consider writing guidelines to facilitate their use and governance. Which, in turn, will help your team to understand, deliver and even evangelise the Design System.
And that’s how a Design System can help your organisation deliver a consistent User Experience to your users. And remember the components library help produce designs whereas a full-blown Design System help create products.
Why do you love Design System projects?
That a product looks good is important - that's the UI. That a product works well is even more important - that's the UX. That a product can be built efficiently and is consistent is equally important - that's the design system.
When it comes to design systems, everything that belongs together simply comes together. What used to fly around in different files and where previously an infinite number of agreements were necessary to create a certain consistency, we now have clear rules and systems. Everything fits together and it's all customizable.
Working on a design system is a lot of work. Most of it is invisible, because a good design system is invisible. It is the inventory that has to be done at the beginning of every design system project, it is the many agreements between designers, developers and product managers, it is the many logics within the design system tools. I just love that it all comes together here.
Many designers find this work boring, but for me the greatest thing is when the individual components work together and create a perfectly connected design network, resulting in a great product.
A design systems isn't a project. It's a product serving products."
- Nathan Curtis
So, do you need a design system, or aren't you sure yet, if you need one? Just ping me and let's figure it out. Even if you just need a design library, I am eager to support you and build a tailored approach for your company.