The Infinity Stones of Design Systems
Imagine a design system as a universe where principles, processes, tools, and UI components come together. It’s like having an Infinity Gauntlet for design — but instead of wielding cosmic power that wipes out humanity, it harmonizes teams around a single source of truth. Much more chill. This allows every team in the digital realm — from designers to developers — to conjure up experiences that feel like they’re cut from the same cosmic cloth (I apologize in advance for the Marvel references).
It’s a multidisciplinary tool, too. Gone are the days when only marketing maestros, design wizards, or coding conjurers had access to the magic. Now, anyone who plays a part in crafting services and products — whether they’re champions of a brand, stewards of an organization, or architects of a platform — can tap into this shared wellspring of knowledge.
Who are the primary guardians of this galaxy, you ask? (I promise I’m almost done with the references). Look towards your product teams, where designers and front-end developers wield these tools with particular finesse. But that’s just the tip of the creative iceberg. Product owners, project managers, business analysts, copywriters, service designers, and many more shaping the future of solutions are also key allies and contributors in this system.
In this journey of design, each role adds a unique sparkle to the system, making it not just a toolkit, but a living, evolving narrative of collaborative creation. Welcome to the universe of design systems, where every element works in concert to create digital experiences that are not just functional, but phenomenally fantastic.
For top management, embracing a design system is a smart move to uplift both the organization and its financial health. It’s a blend of streamlining day-to-day operations while also giving a nice boost to the company’s bottom line and overall growth.
The design systems model, while not a new concept, has demonstrated innovative approaches to working in recent years. Pretty successful organizations including Airbnb, Google, Salesforce, IBM, Shopify, Dropbox, BBC, Audi, Atlassian, Github, Westpac Group, Gov.uk, Adobe, and numerous others have embraced this model. In fact, companies like IBM have theirs open to the public! Check it out here:
https://carbondesignsystem.com/
This widespread adoption underscores its effectiveness in streamlining design processes and fostering collaboration across various industries.
Make Human Connections the Heart of the Process
To start, it’s crucial to immerse yourself in the people, culture, and workflows of your organization. Get to grips with the business narratives, including understanding your customers, their aspirations, and challenges. Tune into the core values that guide your colleagues in their everyday decision-making. By doing so, you ensure that your design system not only leverages the strengths of your organization but also becomes a catalyst for its evolution.
We’re of the firm belief that implementing a design system transcends mere IT upgrades or tool changes — though these can certainly play a part. It’s fundamentally about a shift in organizational culture and the mindsets of the people within it.
Crafting a design system isn’t an insurmountable task; there’s a wealth of pre-existing resources available for use. However, the true value of a design system lies in the cultural shift it inspires, the change in mindset, and the eagerness of everyone in the organization to embrace it. This shift paves the way for quicker product development, unified principles, and heightened employee satisfaction.
The Infinity Stones
Here are the ingredients that bring alignment & results from a successful design system:
1. Product Vision
The vision sets the compass for the company, guiding everyone toward a shared destination. It answers the pivotal questions of ‘why’ and ‘how’, illustrating how the company foresees its products and services adding value to customers in the future. This vision is the beacon that illuminates the path forward, aligning efforts and aspirations across the organization. In the UX space, we discover this within our “Product Definition” phase in communication with stakeholders.
2. Shared Practices and Tools
A design system functions as a comprehensive toolkit, primed to accelerate product design. It encompasses a range of elements including user interface components, code snippets, visual design tools, libraries, and more. Crucially, a design system must be crafted and deployed in a manner that empowers product teams in their day-to-day activities, enhancing their efficiency and creativity.
3. Communicating and Training
Effective communication and practical training play a pivotal role in bringing a design system to life. Utilizing diverse channels such as websites, articles, videos, and dynamic internal communication platforms facilitates this process. Moreover, these avenues open up opportunities for dialogue with the system’s intended users, enabling collaborative discovery of the most effective solutions
4. Maintenance
A design system represents a process that equips all teams with consistent toolkits. The establishment of a robust governance model is vital, as it allows the design system to evolve and refine over time. Effective governance involves monitoring the anticipated outcomes and impacts of the system, thereby guiding you in making informed and strategic prioritizations.
If you are experiencing productivity, quality, or scaling issues, then why not use your handy Infinity Gauntlet (aka a cool design system) and snap your fingers to make those problems disappear? Huh. Maybe Thanos isn’t all that bad. Alright. That was enough Marvel references for a year. Congrats you made it through!
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