User Experience (UX)
Design Systems
A design system is a comprehensive set of guidelines, principles, and assets that govern the creation and maintenance of consistent, cohesive, and user-centric digital experiences across products, platforms, and channels.
It provides a shared vocabulary, design patterns, and reusable components that enable teams to streamline the design and development process, improve collaboration, and maintain brand consistency and integrity. By adopting a design system approach, organisations can accelerate the delivery of high-quality, on-brand digital experiences while reducing design debt, inconsistency, and redundancy.
We help businesses establish and evolve design systems that support their digital transformation objectives and enhance user experience design capabilities. Through a systematic approach to design system creation, implementation, and governance, we help organisations to create cohesive, scalable, and user-centric digital experiences that drive business growth and customer satisfaction.
Discovery and Assessment
We begin by conducting a discovery phase to assess the organisation's current design practices, tools, and challenges. This involves stakeholder interviews, design audits, and user research to understand existing pain points, identify design system opportunities, and define success criteria for the design system initiative.
Design System Definition
We work with key stakeholders to define the vision, scope, and goals of the design system initiative. This includes establishing design principles, guidelines, and governance processes that align with the organisation's brand identity, user needs, and business objectives.
Component Inventory and Analysis
We conduct an inventory of existing design assets, components, and patterns across digital properties. This involves categorising and evaluating design elements for consistency, usability, and scalability, identifying reusable components, and prioritising design system components based on user needs and business priorities.
Component Design and Documentation
We design and document reusable components, patterns, and styles that comprise the design system. This includes creating UI components, typography, color schemes, iconography, and layout guidelines, as well as documenting usage guidelines, best practices, and accessibility standards for each component.
Design System Implementation
We implement the design system components within design tools, prototyping platforms, and development frameworks used by design and development teams. This may involve integrating design system libraries into design tools like Sketch or Figma, as well as developing front-end component libraries using technologies like React or Vue.js.
Design System Adoption and Training
We provide training and support to design and development teams to promote adoption and usage of the design system. This includes workshops, tutorials, and documentation to familiarise teams with design system principles, tools, and workflows, as well as ongoing support to address questions and challenges.
Design System Maintenance and Evolution
We establish processes and workflows for maintaining and evolving the design system over time. This includes version control, release management, and feedback mechanisms to ensure that the design system remains up-to-date, relevant, and aligned with evolving user needs and design trends.
Design System Governance and Compliance
We define governance processes and roles to oversee the design system's use, evolution, and compliance with brand standards and design principles. This involves establishing a design system governance board, conducting design reviews, and enforcing design system guidelines and standards.
Design System Integration and Ecosystem
We integrate the design system into the organisation's design and development ecosystem, ensuring seamless collaboration and consistency across teams and projects. This includes integrating the design system with design tools, prototyping platforms, design systems, and development frameworks used by cross-functional teams.
By investing in a design system, organisations can establish a foundation for scalable, efficient, and user-centric digital experience design, enabling them to deliver consistent, cohesive, and high-quality digital experiences that meet user needs and drive business value.
The benefits of doing:
Consistency: Establishing design principles and reusable components ensures consistent branding and user experience across products, platforms, and channels, enhancing brand recognition and trust.
Efficiency: Streamlining the design and development process with shared assets and guidelines accelerates project timelines, reduces redundancy, and increases productivity for design and development teams.
Collaboration: Providing a shared vocabulary and design patterns fosters collaboration and alignment across teams, improving communication, teamwork, and decision-making throughout the design and development lifecycle.
Scalability: Design systems facilitate scalability by enabling organisations to adapt and evolve digital experiences efficiently, supporting growth and innovation while maintaining brand integrity and user satisfaction.
User-Centricity: Designing user-centric experiences based on research and best practices improves user satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty, driving business growth and competitive advantage in the digital landscape.
The consequences of not:
Inconsistency: Without established guidelines and reusable components, digital experiences may lack consistency, leading to brand fragmentation, user confusion, and diminished trust and loyalty.
Duplication: Without a centralised repository of design assets, teams may duplicate efforts, creating redundant or conflicting design elements, increasing project costs, and hindering productivity.
Siloed Workflows: Lack of collaboration and alignment across teams can result in siloed workflows, miscommunication, and inefficiencies, delaying project delivery and compromising quality and user experience.
Maintenance Challenges: Managing disparate design assets and version control without a design system can lead to maintenance challenges, such as outdated content, inconsistent branding, and compliance issues, increasing risk and operational overhead.
Missed Opportunities: Without a design system, organisations may miss opportunities to innovate, adapt, and differentiate in the market, limiting their ability to meet evolving user needs and drive business growth and competitiveness.
