Component-Based Design System

Summary

I led the design and development of a component-based design system to be integrated into an existing digital platform to enhance consistency, and efficiency, across a catalog of websites. This resulted in faster development cycles and improved consistency. The successful integration of the component-based design system improved design consistency and efficiency and fostered collaboration across the digital platform.

The Challenge

The primary challenge was to ensure a smooth transition from the existing design elements to the new component-based system without impeding the design and development processes. To achieve this I needed to establish a cohesive visual identity while accommodating the diverse needs of different teams and products.

people in front of a whiteboard pointing at information

THE PROCESS

Research and Analysis:
We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the existing design elements, user feedback, and the requirements of different product teams.

One of the key takeaways and a major pain point was that the teams have a lot of elements that are commonly used across multiple products but they did not have an easy way for these elements to be used without completely reproducing them for each instance.

Another key takeaway was that across the different teams, there was a lack of unification in the design and development process.

After the assessment one of the first steps we decided to take after the analysis was to work with the different teams to create a master list of existing commonly used elements as well as any new or anticipated elements they would like to be converted into reusable modular components.

Collaboration with Development and Design Teams:
I collaborated closely with development teams to ensure the integration of these new modular components was technically feasible and aligned with the stakeholders' vision. We established regular communication to address concerns as they arose. The biggest concerns that came up once the transition was deemed feasible were the projected times for the MVP and the time to transition the legacy user flows to the new components.

Design System Mapping:
Once we verified this new component system would be doable we created modular component versions of the elements and integrated them into the new design system. To help keep the team organized and on top of the list of items that need to be converted a master list of all the elements was created that included links to existing live examples of elements to help with the recreation process, the status of the conversion process the item was in, and the person designated to convert the item. This sheet also had general breakdowns of overall progress as well as time to complete projections based on average time to complete and complexity ratings.

This approach allowed for easy tracking for the designers and developers to keep tabs on what needed to be done as well as a way for the project managers and stakeholders to gain quick insight into the status of the project as a whole.

Photo of spreadsheet with a checklist of items to be converted

Adaptation and Customization:
The design system components were created to cater to the unique needs of different products, ensuring that the system remained flexible enough to accommodate variations while maintaining a unified visual language.

Training and Documentation:
We created training materials and documentation for designers and developers to effectively use the new design system components. Workshops were set up to ensure a clear understanding of the system's benefits and usage.

THE SOLUTION & RESULTS

blured out examples of designs — **Visuals of t*he component library have been omitted for security compliance and trade secret protection. Some e*****xamples of these designs can be shared upon request.**

image of font and color section design system — **Snippet from the design system**

The integration of the component-based design system significantly improved design consistency across the catalog of websites. Designers and developers now save considerable time by reusing pre-built components from the design system, leading to faster development cycles and improved efficiency. The customized components allowed for flexibility while maintaining the core visual identity established by the design system. The collaboration between design and development teams improved due to the shared components and a common understanding of design patterns.