Building a Design System as a Solo Designer

What to do if you feel overwhelmed working on a Design System alone.

Some of us are lucky, and some of us have been in a situation where we are alone with the design system. Design systems bring structure, efficiency, and consistency to products, but what happens when you’re the only designer on the team? What if you need to build it from scratch? Creating a design system might seem overwhelming without a dedicated team, but with the right approach, you can create a solid foundation without getting stuck in unnecessary complexity.

Start with Engineering

Engineers will ultimately implement your design system, so your first step should be talking to them. Find out if there’s already a component library, existing guidelines, or reusable styles you can build on. Engineering teams often prefer frameworks or tools that can save you a lot of time. You also need to know what is feasible and how long it may take to build it; you need to check how components and guidelines will be delivered and documented.

What to do:

• Check if any existing components or UI libraries can serve as a baseline.
• Align on the tech stack to ensure smooth integration.
• Keep communication open to make future updates easier.

Keep It Simple

As a solo designer, you don’t have unlimited time or resources. Focus on what matters most: core UI components like buttons, typography, and form fields. You can always introduce more component states later and have hover and pressed modes for your buttons, but you may start simple. Avoid getting lost in edge cases or complex rules — your system will evolve over time.

What to do:

• Start with the most commonly used elements.
• Use a modular approach so you can expand later.
• Avoid over-engineering early on.

Document, But Don’t Overdo It

Documentation is essential, but it doesn’t need to be perfect from day one. Simple guidelines and clear naming conventions will be enough to get started. As your system matures, you can refine your documentation. To make it easier for your future self, be consistent and apply the same logic for all the components, e.g., using name-state-color naming or anything suitable for you and the teams involved.

What to do:

• Maintain a lightweight style guide.
• Document decisions in a way that’s easy to update.
• Keep it practical — focus on how the system should be used.

Work with What You Have

If a certain approach or tool is working for you, don’t change it just for the sake of improvement. Evolution comes naturally as your system grows. Try to list existing components and solutions that do their job, but don’t spend too much time doing it. Think about some light changes that can be done to avoid making every single thing from scratch.

What to do:

• Identify what’s already functional and build upon it.
• Don’t waste time reinventing things that work fine.
• Iterate gradually instead of making drastic changes.

Accept Early Inconsistencies

No design system starts perfectly unified. Some inconsistencies will exist in the early stages, and that’s okay. Instead of aiming for perfection, focus on progress. As you expand, patterns will emerge, and inconsistencies will naturally resolve over time. I would advise focusing on major flows and patterns to make it simpler for everyone, but if, at the beginning, some pages and interactions are not fully aligned with everything — it’s totally normal.

What to do:

• Accept minor inconsistencies in the beginning.
• Establish a process for gradual refinement.
• Communicate that the system is evolving.

Have a Plan, But Stay Flexible

Set clear priorities and define a roadmap, but stay flexible enough to adapt. Your work pace, engineering constraints, and product needs will shape how the system evolves. Be open to adjusting your plan as you gather feedback.

Think about a Design System as any other UX project you’ve had before. Define an MVP covering basic needs and iterate after.

What to do:

• Create an initial roadmap for key components.
• Adjust based on real-world usage and team needs.
• Treat the design system as an evolving product.

Save Fancy Interactions for Later

Micro-interactions, animations, and custom icon transitions are great, but they’re not essential when just starting. Prioritize usability and efficiency first — polish can come later when the basics are solid. In addition, these things may be quite complex, and the ability to build them lies in many UX designers’ toolkits. If possible, try to get some help with it later because the process of creating everything can become endless.

What to do:

• Focus on core functionality before visual polish.
• Avoid spending too much time on animations early on.
• Add refinements gradually as the system stabilizes.

Wrap Up

Building a design system as a solo designer is a balancing act between efficiency and scalability. Start small, keep it simple, and focus on what matters most. Over time, your system will evolve naturally, growing with your team’s and product’s needs. The key is to stay practical, work closely with engineers, and not get caught up in perfection too soon.