How can you create a coherent design system for all your products?

1 Define your goals and scope

Before you start designing, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve with your design system and how it will support your business and user needs. You also need to define the scope of your design system, such as which products, platforms, and features it will cover, and how it will evolve over time. This will help you prioritize and plan your design system project and align your stakeholders and teams.

2 Audit your existing products

The next step is to review your existing products and identify the common and unique elements, patterns, and styles that you use. You can use tools like Sketch, Figma, or Adobe XD to create an inventory of your components, such as buttons, icons, forms, or navigation bars. You can also document your colors, typography, spacing, and other visual aspects. This will help you find inconsistencies, gaps, and opportunities for improvement in your design system.

3 Establish your design principles

Design principles are the core values and beliefs that guide your design decisions and behaviors. They help you create a consistent and coherent design system that reflects your brand identity and user expectations. You can use the SMART framework to define your design principles: they should be Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Timeless. For example, one of your design principles could be "Simplify complex tasks" or "Empower users with feedback".

4 Create your design tokens

Design tokens are the basic building blocks of your design system that define the visual attributes of your components, such as colors, fonts, sizes, or shadows. They are platform-agnostic and can be translated into different code languages, such as CSS, HTML, or JavaScript. You can use tools like Style Dictionary or Theo to create and manage your design tokens. They help you create a consistent and coherent design system that can adapt to different platforms and devices.

5 Build your component library

A component library is a collection of reusable UI elements that you can use to create your products. It includes the code, documentation, and guidelines for each component, such as how to use it, what it does, and how it interacts with other components. You can use tools like Storybook, Bit, or Fractal to create and maintain your component library. They help you create a consistent and coherent design system that can scale and evolve with your products.

6 Test and iterate your design system

The last step is to test and iterate your design system with real users and feedback. You can use tools like Lighthouse, Axe, or Chromatic to test the performance, accessibility, and usability of your design system. You can also use tools like Zeroheight, InVision, or Figma to share and collaborate on your design system with your stakeholders and teams. They help you create a consistent and coherent design system that can meet your goals and scope.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?