Design Systems
Building Design Systems That Scale
Create consistent interfaces across your entire product. We'll walk through components, typography scales, and how to document everything properly so your team stays aligned.
Why Design Systems Matter
A design system isn't just a collection of components. It's a living, breathing document that keeps everyone on the same page. Whether you're designing buttons, cards, or entire page layouts, having a system in place means you're not reinventing the wheel every time you start a new project.
The best part? Once you've built it right, you'll save time. Your developers will know exactly what they're building. Your designers will stop debating whether that button should be 12px or 14px. And your users will get a consistent experience across every interaction.
Start With the Foundations
Before you create a single component, you need to define your foundational design tokens. These are the building blocks: your color palette, typography scale, spacing system, and iconography style.
Core tokens to establish:
- Color system: Primary, secondary, and neutral colors with variations for different states (hover, active, disabled)
- Typography: Font families, weights, sizes for headings and body text—typically 4-6 scales
- Spacing: A consistent scale like 4px, 8px, 12px, 16px, 24px, 32px that governs everything
- Shadows and elevation: 3-5 levels for depth and layering
- Border radius: 2-3 variants (sharp, subtle, rounded) for visual consistency
The specificity here matters. Don't just say "we use blue." Define that blue as #2563EB in RGB and how it changes when hovered. This clarity is what makes scaling possible.
Building Component Library
Once your tokens are locked in, you'll start building components. Begin with the smallest, most reusable pieces: buttons, input fields, badges. Then layer up to larger components like cards, forms, and navigation patterns.
Each component should have clear documentation covering:
Visual specs
Exact dimensions, padding, font sizes. No guessing.
States and variants
How it looks when disabled, hovered, focused, or loading.
Usage guidelines
When to use this component and when not to. What goes wrong when it's misused.
Code examples
Actual HTML/CSS snippets so developers know exactly what to build.
Document Everything Thoroughly
Here's where many teams falter. You've built a beautiful system, but if no one knows how to use it, it fails. You need living documentation that stays updated as your system evolves.
We recommend hosting this in a tool like Figma, Storybook, or a custom web documentation site. Whatever you choose, it should include:
Visual library
All components shown at actual size with their variations
Interactive examples
Designers can see how components behave in real-time
Clear patterns
Real-world page templates showing components in context
Do's and don'ts
Visual examples of correct and incorrect usage
Assign someone on your team to own the documentation. This person stays on top of updates, ensures new components get documented, and keeps the system accurate. Without ownership, it falls apart.
Scaling Across Teams and Products
The real test of a design system comes when you're working across multiple projects or teams. Your system needs to be flexible enough to adapt, but rigid enough to maintain consistency.
"A design system that doesn't scale is just a design library. True scaling means your components work whether you're building a dashboard, a marketing site, or a mobile app."
Start with about 30-40 core components. That's enough to cover most use cases without overwhelming your team. As you build real products, you'll discover gaps. Add components only when you've validated they'll be reused at least twice across different projects.
Version your system thoughtfully. Major version changes (v1, v2) mean breaking changes. Minor versions (v1.1, v1.2) are additions that don't break existing work. This clarity prevents chaos when teams upgrade.
Keeping Your System Alive
Building a design system is one thing. Maintaining it is another entirely. The best systems are those that evolve with your product while staying consistent.
Regular audits
Every quarter, review which components are actually being used. Retire components that no one's touched in 6 months. It reduces clutter and keeps the system focused.
Team training
New designers and developers need onboarding. Create a simple 30-minute walkthrough of your system. Show them how to find components, when to ask for a new one, and how to contribute back.
Feedback loops
Encourage teams to flag problems or suggest improvements. Have a process for evaluating requests. Some requests become components, others are solved through documentation updates.
Change log
Document every update. What changed, why it changed, and what teams need to do. This transparency builds trust and helps teams stay synchronized.
Start Small, Build Intentionally
You don't need 200 components on day one. Start with what you need today. Define your tokens. Build 10-15 core components. Document them clearly. Then launch it to your team and gather feedback.
The system grows as your products grow. It becomes smarter as you learn what works and what doesn't. After a year, you'll have something genuinely valuable—not just for your current projects, but for everything you'll build next.
Design systems scale because they're built to last. They force clarity and consistency. They make everyone faster. And they create an amazing experience for your users who see the same quality and care across every interaction.
Ready to build your system? Start by documenting your current design patterns. Look at your existing work and identify what's already consistent. That's your foundation.
About This Guide
This article provides educational information about design system principles and best practices. Every project has unique requirements, constraints, and contexts. The approaches described here should be adapted to your specific situation, team size, and product goals. Design systems that work for one organisation might need significant modification for another. We recommend consulting with your team and considering your product roadmap before implementing major changes to your design system.
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