List of public design systems to understand design systems.

Everything is not a design system

The difference between UI Kit and Design System.

UI kits are a specific tool used for designing the user interface, while design systems are broader, more comprehensive guides for creating consistent, cohesive products or brands. Here's a list of public design systems to understand the difference in terms of scope, purpose, level of detail, and scale:

Material 3 by Google

Human by Apple

Fluent by Microsoft

Carbon by IBM

Polaris?by Shopify

Swarm by Meetup

Protocol by Mozilla

Evergreen by Segment

Gestalt by Pinterest

The U.S Government

Why are design systems public?

A public design system can benefit big brands by building community, promoting best practices, encouraging third-party development, and increasing visibility. These benefits can help to reinforce a brand's position in the market and drive innovation in its ecosystem.

Governments can also develop a public design system, ensuring the same consistency, accessibility, and user-friendliness of public-facing materials. They strive to establish visual and interactive standards that can be applied across government agencies and departments. An early-stage but growing practice.