Design Systems: Bridging the Gap Between Design and Engineering
Analytics
he Design System Core
At the heart of our system is its core, which provides a range of services, functions, type systems, scales, and theme models essential for building cohesive components. A robust core shapes a consistent, intuitive creation experience for designers and engineers.
When constructing this foundational bedrock, three distinct, yet equally vital mindsets must be adopted:
- Designer Mindset — Unpacking the ‘Why’: This mindset is centered on the components’ visual attributes, including the color system, typography, and density models. The goal is to ensure each component visually aligns with the design language, fostering uniformity throughout.
- Product Mindset — Generating the ‘What’: With attention on the product’s future, this approach understands its intended growth, usage trajectory, and the creation of new use cases based on future roadmap items. This perspective helps the system team make decisions to shape the future of dynamic design across the product.
- Engineer Mindset — Detailing the ‘How’: Focused on the technical intricacies of the components, this mindset is all about adherence to best practices and high performance. The objective is flawlessness in every component’s function, leaving no room for inconsistency.
Uniting these diverse perspectives cultivates a comprehensive approach to building an effective, streamlined design system.
Component Library
Components are the main deliverables in a design system, with atomic design principles serving as a guiding framework for their development. These principles offer a holistic view of the library’s fundamental elements, supporting teams in creating common layouts and reusable micro user interfaces.
Key to maintaining user focus, components aim to standardize actions, mitigating the need to create bespoke solutions and learn new UX patterns. An effective component library respects versioning, providing concise, timely updates. Clear changelogs with outlined changes and integration steps can foster ease and confidence in teams during application updates.