Design Systems at Gusto

You can’t build a design system by yourself.
A design system doesn’t have to be complete to be useful.
Design systems live and die by their documentation.
A design system is more than code and design — it’s a record of shared knowledge.

I love this insight:

Design teams aren't explicitly rewarded for reusing designs the way engineers know they should write DRY code, so introducing inconsistencies feels like productivity.

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Creating Themeable Design Systems

I think there’s a lot of power in combining a systematic approach to creating UIs with aesthetic flexibility. We can create a lot of efficiency by sharing components between brands while still honoring each brand’s unique visual identity. I hope this post helps dispel the myth that design systems impose stifling rigidity on design teams and lead to bland, one-size-fits-all experiences.

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Design systems — In the wild

> First of all: Be sure there is a product/market fit.

> Completeness is not the goal.

> Allow for rapid mutation

> Make your system accessible and adoptable.

> A design system is the result of an aligned team, not the other way around.

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Shopify Polaris

Our design system helps us work together to build a great experience for all of Shopify’s merchants.

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Design System Fundamentals

That’s the general process. It’s really iterative. It really is hypothesis-driven, and we use data from shipping products and feedback to help us move forward. We do that internally, day to day, in designing and planning with partner teams around the company, and we do it externally through our feedback avenues.

A design system is iterative. It’s organic.

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The People Part of Design Systems

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We were a team of system advocates and facilitators, helping everyone contribute to our evolving system with the big picture in mind.

The Design Systems Council @ Etsy, because it’s also creating a people system as it is about creating a technical or operational one.

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Suburban Tract Housing and the Death of Craftsmanship: A Critique of Digital Design Systems

As a result, we see monolithic, corporate design teams at the forefront of today’s design systems movement.

Yes, absolutely.

Designers, if you want to get a seat at the table, then stand up and walk away from the one you’re at and start figuring out how you can optimize the design-sales or design-marketing handoffs.

It’s not wrong. But are we letting efficiency dominate?

Speed, efficiency, consistency, seamless handoff — these are bureaucratic ideals, not designerly ones.

Yes but as consultant, I would say no. They also are how we measure change.

If the design system has the best practices baked in, then what’s the point of learning the principles yourself?

Oh yes.

Don’t lose sight of the craft.

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