A Short Primer on Design Systems
Tags:
You may have heard the term Design Systems, or maybe other terms such as Design Language, Pattern Library, or even Component Design.
When we talk about Design Systems, we are actually referring to components that can be reused in a number of different combinations. This is very important when dealing with human computer interaction, user experience, interaction design, as well as frontend development. Design Systems help with improving design and development workflow, iterate with confidence, and manage updates collaboratively. Documentation is also key to understanding the separate components that make up the design system along with when and how to use them effectively.
The importance of having a Design System is crucial to a team for a variety of reasons.
***The main reasons: ***
-
Scaling your app or product for future growth
-
Promoting Consistency throughout the user experience and product branding
-
Efficiency for developers and designers in order to save time
-
Encouraging Teamwork Some of the biggest examples of commercial design systems are:
-
Polaris by Shopify
-
AirBnB Visual Language
-
Plasma by WeWork
-
Swarm by Meetup
-
Google's Material Design
Here are links to more in-depth information about design systems if you feel like going down the design development rabbit hole: