Design Systems 101: How to Create a Consistent and Cohesive User Interface for Your Web Application

Design systems have become increasingly important in web development as a means of creating a consistent and cohesive user interface across web applications. They are a collection of reusable components, guidelines, and design patterns that help teams create a consistent and cohesive user interface. In this blog post, we will explore the concept of design systems and how they can be used to create a consistent and cohesive user interface. We will also discuss popular design systems such as Material UI and Bootstrap and share some examples of how they have been used effectively.

What are Design Systems?

Design systems are a set of rules, principles, and guidelines that are used to create a consistent and cohesive user interface across all web applications. They are a collection of reusable components, guidelines, and design patterns that help teams create a consistent and cohesive user interface. These systems include everything from color schemes and typography to layouts and interactions. By establishing a set of design principles, teams can ensure that their products are visually coherent and consistent across all platforms.

How can you use Design Systems?

Using a design system can help to simplify the design process and ensure that all products are designed in accordance with established guidelines. The benefits of using design systems are many, including increased efficiency, improved collaboration, and better user experiences. Here are some key steps to using a design system:

1. Define your design principles

The first step is to define the design principles that will guide your team in creating a consistent and cohesive user interface. This might include things like typography, color schemes, and layout patterns.

2. Create reusable components

Once you have defined your design principles, the next step is to create reusable components that can be used across your web applications. These components might include things like buttons, forms, and icons.

Here’s an example of a button component in Material UI:

import Button from '@material-ui/core/Button';

<Button variant="contained" color="primary">
  Click Me!
</Button>

3. Establish guidelines and patterns

In addition to creating reusable components, you should also establish guidelines and patterns that define how these components should be used. For example, you might define how forms should be laid out or how buttons should be styled.

Here’s an example of a form layout in Bootstrap:

<div class="form-group">
  <label for="exampleInputEmail1">Email address</label>
  <input type="email" class="form-control" id="exampleInputEmail1" aria-describedby="emailHelp" placeholder="Enter email">
  <small id="emailHelp" class="form-text text-muted">We'll never share your email with anyone else.</small>
</div>

4. Test and iterate

Finally, it is important to test and iterate on your design system to ensure that it is effective in creating a consistent and cohesive user interface across your web applications.

Design System Examples

There are many popular design systems available that can help you create a consistent and cohesive user interface across your web applications. Here are two popular examples:

Material UI:

Material UI is a popular design system for building responsive and mobile-first web applications. It is based on Google’s Material Design principles and includes a wide range of pre-built components, styles, and icons. Material UI is used by many large companies, including Amazon, Lyft, and Netflix.

Here’s an example of a card component in Material UI:

import Card from '@material-ui/core/Card';

<Card>
  <CardContent>
    <Typography variant="h5" component="h2">
      Title
    </Typography>
    <Typography color="textSecondary">
      Subtitle
    </Typography>
    <Typography variant="body2" component="p">
      Description
    </Typography>
  </CardContent>
</Card>

Bootstrap:

Bootstrap is another popular design system that is widely used to create responsive and mobile-first web applications. It includes a wide range of pre-built components, such as buttons, forms, and navigation, as well as styles and utilities. Bootstrap is used by many large companies, including Airbnb, Spotify, and LinkedIn.

Here’s an example of a navigation component in Bootstrap:

<nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light bg-light">
  <a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Logo</a>
  <button class="navbar-toggler" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarNav" aria-controls="navbarNav" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation">
    <span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span>
  </button>
  <div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNav">
    <ul class="navbar-nav">
      <li class="nav-item active">
        <a class="nav-link" href="#">Home <span class="sr-only">(current)</span></a>
      </li>
      <li class="nav-item">
        <a class="nav-link" href="#">About</a>
      </li>
      <li class="nav-item">
        <a class="nav-link" href="#">Contact</a>
      </li>
    </ul>
  </div>
</nav>

Case Studies

Design systems have been used effectively by many companies to create a consistent and cohesive user interface across their web applications. Here are some examples:

IBM Design Language:

IBM’s design system, called the IBM Design Language, is a comprehensive system that includes everything from design principles and guidelines to reusable components and patterns. The system is used by over 20,000 designers and developers across IBM’s many products and services, resulting in a consistent and cohesive user experience for IBM’s customers.

Shopify Polaris:

Shopify’s design system, called Polaris, includes a wide range of pre-built components and guidelines for creating a consistent and cohesive user interface across Shopify’s many products and services. The system is used by over 3,000 designers and developers across Shopify, resulting in a consistent and cohesive user experience for Shopify’s customers.

Design systems are an essential tool for creating a consistent and cohesive user interface across web applications. By establishing a set of design principles, creating reusable components, and establishing guidelines and patterns, teams can ensure that their products are visually coherent and consistent across all platforms. Popular design systems such as Material UI and Bootstrap provide pre-built components, styles, and utilities to make it easier to create a consistent and cohesive user interface. Finally, case studies have shown that design systems can be effective in creating a consistent and cohesive user experience for large companies such as IBM and Shopify.