Driving Digital Product Innovation and Efficiency: The Power of a Design System

In today’s evolving marketplace, establishing a comprehensive repository for your brand’s essential design elements, also known as a design system, marks a significant stride towards achieving consistency and cohesion across all brand assets and interfaces.

Moreover, the commercial impact that a Design System has on ROI goes beyond mere visual presentation:

• Figma’s data science team uncovered a remarkable 34% boost in productivity by implementing their design system, equivalent to hiring three full-time designers each week.

• According to Lloyds Banking Group, their design system has resulted in savings of £3.5 million, effectively averting an average project cost of £190,000.

So, what is a design system and how to create one? Let’s delve into the what, why and how of a design system.

What is a design system

A design system is a centralised and comprehensive set of guidelines, components and resources that ensures a consistent and cohesive visual and functional design across all products and services within an organisation. It serves as a foundational reference for designers, developers and stakeholders, streamlining the design and development process, enhancing brand consistency and facilitating efficient collaboration.

Furthermore, a well-structured design system brings several other key benefits:

• Scalability – as products and services expand, design systems facilitate scalability by providing a structured framework for incorporating new features and maintaining a cohesive look and feel.

• Accessibility – design systems often incorporate accessibility guidelines, making it easier to ensure that products and services are inclusive and compliant with accessibility standards.

• Collaboration – design systems serve as a common language for interdisciplinary teams, fostering collaboration and alignment.

• Prototyping – designers can quickly create prototypes using the established components, allowing for rapid iteration and user testing.

Criteria of a well-structured design system

The key to identifying an effective design system lies in meeting several key criteria:

• Authenticity – the design system should accurately reflect the reality of the brand, avoiding an idealised version. It should capture the brand’s essence and adapt to real-world scenarios, maintaining authenticity.

• Consistency – it should provide a consistent look and feel across all products, applications and platforms, aligning with the true character of the brand. Consistency in typography, colour schemes, spacing and UI patterns should convey the brand’s identity.

• Modularity – the system should be modular, allowing for the reuse of components and patterns. This modularity should enable teams to adapt and extend the system to meet real-world project requirements without compromising consistency.

• Accessibility – accessibility should be a core consideration in the design system, ensuring that it reflects the brand’s commitment to inclusivity in the real world. It should provide guidelines and components that accommodate users with disabilities, aligning with the brand’s authentic values.

• Cross-platform compatibility – the design system should adapt to various platforms and devices, including desktop, mobile and different browsers. It should support responsive design principles while maintaining brand authenticity.

• Integration – the design system should seamlessly fit into the workflow of how teams operate. It should be intuitive and practical, enabling designers and developers to efficiently collaborate and utilise design assets and components within their existing processes.

What should be included in a design system

What are the essential components of a design system? While no two design systems will share identical features, certain fundamental components should consistently be contemplated when crafting your brand’s design system:

• Visual elements – this encompasses aspects like brand colours, typography, logos, icons and imagery.

• UI components – guidelines for designing and building user interface elements such as buttons, forms, navigation bars and cards.

• Design patterns – reusable solutions for common design problems, fostering consistency and efficiency in design.

• Accessibility guidelines – ensuring that design elements are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.

• Coding standards – guidelines for developers on how to implement the design elements in code, maintaining consistency and functionality.

• Content guidelines – guidance on content strategy, voice and tone and content structure.

• Documentation – detailed documentation and examples to assist designers and developers in using the design system effectively.

• Testing and quality assurance – procedures for testing and validating design elements and components.

• Version control – systems for tracking changes and updates to the design system.

• Maintenance protocols – keeping the design system up-to-date and ensuring its proper use across teams and projects.

Examples of a well-structured design system

Now that we’ve explored the concept of a design system, discussed the criteria that define a good design system and delved into the essential components typically found within one, it’s time to put theory into practice. Let’s turn our attention to real-world examples of design systems in action. These examples will showcase how leading organisations have harnessed the power of design systems:

• NSW Government

• Westpac’s Gel

• Atlassian

How to build a design system

To harness the power of a design system, there are three primary approaches:

• Adopting an existing design system

• Tailoring an existing design system to suit your organisation’s specific requirements

• Starting from scratch to craft your proprietary design system

However, regardless of the path you select, following the subsequent steps will ensure the development of a comprehensive design system that seamlessly integrates into your daily workflows.

Step 1: Assemble a team

Before embarking on the journey to enhance your brand’s design and user interface (UI), it’s essential to form a well-rounded team. This team should comprise individuals from various disciplines, including but not limited to:

• Researchers

• UX designers

• UI designers

• Content strategists / producers

• Developers

• Product managers

• Brand leads

• Project managers

• Executives and stakeholders

The involvement of these key stakeholders, each contributing their unique perspective, is pivotal in creating a comprehensive and cohesive design system for your brand.

Step 2: Research and audit

In this phase, it’s crucial to bear in mind that a design system should mirror the present design and development elements. Begin by gathering a visual inventory of all your existing design assets. This entails compiling a comprehensive list of your visual elements and resources.

Once you’ve compiled this inventory, proceed to conduct a thorough visual audit. During this audit, you’ll assess the current state of your design and UI components, noting any inconsistencies or discrepancies. While additional or desirable elements may arise, maintaining a running wish list while defining your brand guidelines can prove beneficial.

Throughout this stage, be vigilant for any duplicate documentation or fragmentation and take the necessary steps to address these issues. By doing so, you’ll ensure that your design system accurately reflects your brand’s current design and development elements.

Step 3: Establish design elements

When collecting and arranging your design and development components, paying close attention to detail is crucial. This is particularly important for fundamental design elements like colour schemes, typography choices, sizing, spacing and imagery. These elements shape the visual identity and user experience of your product or project, demanding consistency.

In digital development, an equally rigorous approach is necessary. Thoroughly documenting coding standards and functionality aspects, including elements like buttons, forms and icons, is vital. Addressing these aspects ensures design and development integrity, enhancing your product’s overall quality and user experience.

Step 4: Build your design system

It is now time to create a system that is not only easily accessible but also highly secure. This system should serve as a central repository for all information and files, allowing for seamless synchronisation with teams. Furthermore, it should incorporate an archiving function, facilitating users in transitioning between current data and previous versions. Additionally, the system should offer both design and coding capabilities.

Step 5: Define workflow and roles

The effectiveness of a design system heavily relies on its consistent integration into daily tasks. To promote widespread adoption, it’s essential to proactively define clear administrative and editor roles, as well as establish a streamlined workflow. It’s crucial to specify when and under what circumstances the design system should come into play. Addressing these key questions is paramount.

In addition, to safeguard valuable brand assets, it’s imperative to ensure that the necessary security measures are in place and functioning effectively.

Adrenalin will release a FREE guide on design systems in November, which includes a comprehensive checklist of components and tools for brand, marketing and digital leaders and digital product owners. Subscribe to our newsletter below to avoid missing out.