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Don't Build a Design System—Build What You Actually Need

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Don't Build a Design System—Build What You Actually Need

Design systems have become a hot topic in the world of product development. They promise consistency, efficiency, and a more cohesive brand experience. However, the path to building a fully-fledged design system can be long, complex, and resource-intensive. Before you dive headfirst into creating your own system, ask yourself: Do you actually need one?

This article challenges the prevailing dogma of "build it and they will come" when it comes to design systems. Instead, we'll explore a more pragmatic approach that focuses on building what you truly need, when you need it. We'll discuss the benefits of a gradual, iterative approach, the importance of identifying real pain points, and the tools that can help you streamline your design process without the overhead of a full-blown system.

The Myth of the "One Size Fits All" Design System

The allure of a complete design system is undeniable. It promises a world of standardized components, consistent branding, and a streamlined design workflow. However, this utopian vision often clashes with the reality of most product development teams:

Resource Constraints: Building and maintaining a comprehensive design system requires significant time, effort, and resources. This can be a major hurdle for small teams or those with limited budgets.
Over-Engineering: Design systems can become overly complex, especially if they are built without a clear understanding of actual needs. This can lead to unnecessary complexity and bloat.
Lack of Flexibility: A rigid design system can stifle creativity and innovation. It can make it difficult to adapt to evolving user needs or market trends.
Slow Adoption: Getting everyone on board with a new design system can be challenging, particularly if the system is not perceived as valuable or relevant.

A More Pragmatic Approach: Building What You Need

Instead of striving for a monolithic design system, consider adopting a more iterative and targeted approach. Focus on building solutions to specific design challenges as they arise. Here's a breakdown of this strategy:

Identify Your Pain Points

Start by identifying the specific areas where your design process is inefficient, inconsistent, or problematic. Here are some common pain points:

Inconsistent typography and color usage: Different designers may use different fonts or colors, leading to a fragmented visual identity.
Repetitive design elements: Buttons, forms, and other common UI elements may be created and implemented differently across the product, resulting in redundancy and inconsistency.
Lack of documentation: Design decisions are not properly documented, making it difficult to maintain consistency over time.
Slow onboarding for new designers: New team members have difficulty getting up to speed with the existing design language.

Prioritize and Address the Most Pressing Issues

Don't try to solve everything at once. Start with the most critical pain points and work your way down. For example, if inconsistent typography is a major issue, focus on establishing a clear type scale and font hierarchy first.

Build Reusable Components and Patterns

As you address these issues, create reusable components and patterns that encapsulate the design decisions you make. This can be as simple as creating a style guide document or using a design system library like Figma's Design System Kit.

Iterate and Refine

The process of building a design system is an iterative one. As your team uses the components and patterns you create, you'll learn what works well and what needs to be improved. Regularly review and update your design system to reflect the evolving needs of your product.

Tools to Help You Build What You Need

Several tools can streamline the process of building and maintaining your design system without the need for a full-blown system:

Design System Libraries: Figma's Design System Kit, Zeroheight, and Styleguidist offer pre-built components, templates, and documentation features that can help you establish a cohesive design language.
Design Tokens: Tools like Figma Tokens and Style Dictionary allow you to define and manage design variables (colors, fonts, spacing, etc.) in a centralized location, ensuring consistency across your designs.
Version Control: Git is a powerful tool for managing and tracking changes to your design system, ensuring that everyone is using the latest version of your components and patterns.
Style Guides: Create a clear and concise style guide that outlines your brand's typography, color palette, imagery, and other key design principles. This serves as a central source of truth for your design system.

Conclusion: Focus on Solutions, Not Systems

Instead of getting caught up in the hype of building a complete design system, focus on building what you actually need to improve your design process and create a better user experience. Identify your pain points, prioritize the most pressing issues, create reusable components and patterns, and continuously iterate and refine your approach. Remember, the goal is to create a design system that works for your team, not a monolithic system that is difficult to maintain and adopt. By focusing on solutions rather than systems, you can create a more sustainable and effective approach to design that empowers your team to deliver better products.