Creating a consistent, user-friendly experience for your product is tough. The bigger your team gets, the harder it becomes to keep design and development aligned throughout your project. Team members start to create their solutions, resulting in a disjointed product that lacks cohesion. Design systems help you avoid this scenario by establishing a single source of truth for your project. This article will provide valuable insights on creating and implementing a design system for your company.

Ion is one of the best design system tools to help you achieve your goals. This design-to-code tool streamlines the transition from design to development by automatically generating clean, reusable code from your design files. Using Ion can make creating a design system more manageable and less daunting.

What is a Design System?

A design system is the rulebook and toolkit for creating cohesive, scalable, and efficient digital products. It’s like a shared language between designers and developers. It’s not just about making things look good; it’s about making them work well across platforms, teams, and time. 

At its core, a design system includes reusable components, design principles, and guidelines. These elements ensure consistency in the visual style, user interactions, and overall experience across all digital products. For instance, it might specify the exact shade of your brand’s primary color, dictate the placement of buttons on a screen, or guide how dropdown menus behave.  

What Lives Inside a Design System?

Here’s what typically lives in a design system:  

• UI Components: Think input boxes, dropdown menus, buttons, and navigation elements all designed to be used repeatedly.  
• Style Guide: This includes brand-approved colors, fonts, and spacing rules, along with instructions on how and when to use them.  
• Interaction Guidelines: Should images be resized by pinching or via a button? Should there be an auto-save feature? These rules provide clarity.  
• Layout Systems: From grid structures to content alignment, it ensures every screen looks and feels consistent.  
• Content Rules: How should a brand “speak” to users? Should menu items be verbs like “Search” or nouns like “Home”? A famous example is Google’s Material Design, which offers detailed instructions on everything from button styles to animation rules, ensuring all Google products look and feel unified.  

What Are The Benefits Of Using A Design System?  

Design systems go beyond just visuals. For voice-controlled interfaces they may focus on behavior and content instead. And as products evolve, so do their design systems adapting to new technologies, user needs, and business goals. 

On the technical side, a design system often comes with ready-to-use code snippets for developers. These make it quicker to prototype or build new features. It may include reusable assets in tools like Figma or Sketch for designers. A design system isn’t just a tool for consistency. It’s a powerhouse for collaboration, speed, and brand identity, helping teams deliver polished, user-friendly experiences without reinventing the wheel every time.

Related Reading

• Design System Documentation
• Design System vs Style Guide
• Design Handoff

Why You Need a Design System?

More organizations are waking up to the business value of design and making it an enterprise-wide priority. Forrester estimates the size of the global design industry to be $162 billion and growing. 

Hiring of Designers is Also High

Seventy-two percent of design teams said they expect to grow in 2023, and one-quarter expect to grow by more than 25%. In 2020, 65% of companies told Forrester they use design systems, and that number is projected to continue to increase for three reasons: 

Design Systems Help Democratize Design Practice

Experience design (XD) teams can add value to the business through design work beyond efforts like designing buttons or form layouts. But they often lack the bandwidth to do so. It’s good for the business if designers can make these tasks more efficient by democratizing the required work. Design systems help teams do this by providing a set of user-experience-“blessed” components that developers and product managers can pull from when doing basic updates. This eliminates the need for XD pros to create another wireframe, freeing up that time for higher-impact work. As a Twitch’s design systems team member said at SF Design Week, “The system [addresses] 80% of what design and development need so they can focus on the other 20%.” 

Design Systems Help Power Accessibility Efforts

More firms are recognizing what Forrester calls the digital accessibility opportunity, and companies can use design systems to help achieve their accessibility goals. 

How? By making sure all design elements and code in the system adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, it’s less likely that accessibility issues will creep into the organization’s digital experiences. 

• Adobe’s Spectrum
• Zendesk Garden
• VMware’s Clarity
• Westpac GEL 

Design Systems Help Indirectly Improve Talent Retention

Ask any designer what they like least about their job, and you’ll likely hear things like, “I hate solving the same problem repeatedly, like how to lay out a form.” Designers leave companies where they’re creating wireframes for the same design problem, again and again, to go where the work is more challenging and exciting. 

Exciting work means solving complex challenges that someone hasn’t figured out, like reimagining an entire customer journey or designing an innovative new feature that fulfills an unmet customer need. Design systems document decisions that have already been made and can be applied repeatedly across products so that designers are not caught in this cycle of working on the same problems. 

Design-Driven Development

Ion transforms your Figma designs into production-ready code perfectly aligned with your existing codebase and business needs. Our platform bridges the gap between design and development by automatically generating functional code that matches your:

• Specific components
• Styles
• Design system

We've created a unique solution that empowers non-technical team members to implement visual changes without engineering intervention. Our tool understands your:

• CI/CD pipelines
• Testing requirements
• Component architecture

This ensures that generated code fits seamlessly into your workflow. Whether you're updating design elements or creating new features, Ion helps unlock engineering resources by letting designers and product teams contribute directly to the codebase in a safe, controlled way. 

Start building your application for free today with our design-to-code tool. 

How to Create a Design System And Implement it For Your Company

Before creating a design system from scratch, evaluate your current user interface (UI) inventory to reveal inconsistencies and other issues. The best place to start is with a comprehensive list of every UI element you have. 

You can note which ones need to be updated or replaced and which ones you want to include in your design system. Aim to review every digital asset and all pre-existing reference materials. The end goal is to create a universal guidebook and resource library, so everything that can be included should be included. 

‍Specifically, take a good look at:

• Color schemes and how each color is used
• Stylistic text choices, like specialized grammar selections, voice, etc. Choices that would be outlined in a style guide
• Icon libraries
• Photo libraries, both stock and custom
• For other graphics, especially your logo, now is a good time to reevaluate your logo and make a new one if you were planning to
• UI patterns (note which ones need to be updated)
• Page templates
  

If you’re a new startup and don’t have any finalized design elements to review, think critically about each area to determine the choices that best fit your brand. Later, you’ll have to create a master list, so it’s never too soon to start deciding on these.

How To Get The Team On Board With Your Design System

You could get your team on board with building a design system before you evaluate your UI inventory. If you're met with resistance, looking for inconsistencies first gives your argument leverage. There's nothing like a laundry list of design inconsistencies to get naysayers on board. Regardless of how many errors you collect, highlight the efficiency bonuses of using a centralized design system for the team. 

Repeat everything mentioned above in the introduction, and accent the amount of time and work a design system saves by streamlining the entire design process from beginning to end. A common complaint about design systems is that the company doesn’t have time to set aside on a side project, but the truth is that design systems make up that time and much more in the long run.

Create A Color Palette 

Now we get into the nitty-gritty of design systems: creating a master list of all your design choices, whether choosing among existing elements or creating them from scratch. You should rectify the inconsistencies from the first step before adding them to the master. 

Your color palette is a good place to start. Maybe you’ve noticed the company uses over a hundred shades of gray. How much easier would it be if everyone just used one shade, and that one could be grabbed in a readily available design system? Identify your chosen shades and hues for every color you use repeatedly, and write definitive guidelines. Of course, this includes your primary branding colors, but pay attention to your secondary colors. For example:

• What color is your text? 
• Your links? 
• Special buttons? 
• Backgrounds? 
• Remember to include:some text
  • HEX
  • RGBA
  • HSL 

Establish A Typographic Elements Guide 

You want to review and finalize your typographic choices. If you already have a style guide, most of the work is done for you. If not, this free style guide eBook will tell you what you need. Design systems can be more technical than static style guides, so take advantage of this. 

Note your preferred text sizes, spaces, fonts, etc., and any rules on where and when to use them. For example, how big are section headings in your blog articles? What font do you use for on-site calls to action? Don’t neglect the fine details, like font weights, line heights, or custom kerning rules if applicable.

Collect Your Graphic Design Assets 

A well-made design system allows you to drag and drop visual components into your new prototype. The more graphic design assets you collect in a design system, your workflow for future projects will be faster. Don’t forget to include the proper code snippets or any other documentation developers may need. This small inclusion is an enormous help during the development stage. Among your graphic design assets, you’ll need libraries for:

• Icons: All the icons your products, apps, or sites use. Having a standardized icon library ensures consistency across your entire brand.
• Photography: A single go-to reference for all your company photography, both custom and purchased stock photos. Not only is it easier to pull these from a design system, it also allows workers to browse the selection for ideas and inspiration.
• Illustrations: Compile all your commissioned custom illustrations, including page flourishes or border designs.
• Branding images: This is a place for your standardized logos and other branding images, like mascots. Rules for logo usage can get strict, so it’s better to pull pre-approved images to ensure compliance. 

You may want to include a list of design principles for everyone to follow if creating a new graphic asset. Sizes, colors, compatibilities, preferred file formats, and having a rulebook help ensure your company’s style remains intact in the future.

Create a Pattern Library 

Include a pattern library of all your common design elements, especially interactive ones. There may be some overlap between UI patterns and graphic assets. Your UI patterns are more advanced than stagnant visuals. To be clear, UI patterns are any design elements you use consistently for the interface of your site, app, or product. For example, how you treat your search function is a UI pattern, including how the magnifying glass icon looks, whether the input window expands or remains open, where it’s located on the screen, and whether you include placeholder text. 

Don’t forget, once again, to include code snippets and other development documentation. This is even more significant for UI patterns, as they tend to be more technical. When organizing your UI patterns, include usage notes to clarify how to use it. It also helps to use screenshots or visual cues to make searching for them easier. It also helps to organize your pattern library into subsections. Try categorizing them by function, such as “navigation,” or type, such as “drop-down menus.”

Upload The Select Ui Elements In A Design System Document 

Last but not least, you need to house your design system somewhere that’s convenient and easily accessible. There are Design Systems platforms created for this in particular, with template-like formats where all you have to do is input your components in the appropriate space or upload them. 

You can also drag and drop your elements into the prototyping software, which means easy, DIY designing and a fully-coded handoff to developers with complete documentation (full markup, information about imports, and names of javascript components, etc.).

Implement Design System Governance 

Design systems are rarely static. As your brand or product develops, new components must be added, style guides updated, and guidance refreshed. To keep up with these changes, regular reviews of the design system will help ensure it remains a useful asset for your team. 

This could be quarterly or annual, depending on how complex your design system is. Regular refresher training on the design system as you update your design system also ensures new and existing team members are kept up to date. 

Monitor And Improve Your Process 

It’s unlikely that any design system is going to be perfect right away. Make sure you get feedback from the designers and developers who use it to see what improvements can be made. As part of your governance structure, team surveys and feedback sessions can be incorporated into any updates plans you make during regular design system reviews.

Related Reading

• Design System Governance
  
• What is a Design System
• Design System vs Component Library

Step-By-Step Process To Design System Documentation

1. Know Your Audience

Design documentation isn’t just for designers. Developers, stakeholders, and product managers benefit from proper documentation tailored to their unique needs. While designers look for:

• Visual references
• Style guidelines and interaction patterns
• Developers require code snippets
• API references
• Accessibility standards. 

Stakeholders might look for high-level overviews of system goals and benefits. 

Start by identifying your primary audience. Think about their workflows and challenges. For example, developers often value detailed component usage instructions, while designers may prefer visual examples of patterns. Treat your documentation like a product; your team members are the end-users. Conduct interviews or surveys if needed to determine their expectations. Structure the documentation to align with their daily tasks and make information easily accessible.

2. Break Down Each Component

Each component in your design system like buttons, forms, or navigation bars should have its documentation. 

This documentation must answer these key questions:

• What does this component do? Include a description of the component's purpose and its role in the system. 
• How should it look? Provide design patterns, color palettes, fonts, spacing, and images. 
• How should it behave? Describe interactions, animations, or responsive behavior. 
• How do you implement it? Include code snippets, accessibility guidelines, and examples. 

By breaking down the documentation into these categories, you ensure that anyone from a junior designer to a senior developer can quickly understand and use the component. Additionally, you can provide real-world examples or templates to illustrate the component in action.

3. Write an Introduction

The introduction page is the table of contents and guidepost for your design system. 

It should include:

• A high-level overview: Explain what the design system is, why it exists, and its goals (e.g., consistency, efficiency, or scalability). 
• Key components: List and briefly describe the major components or tools included in the system. 
• Team rules: Outline roles and responsibilities for using and contributing to the system.

Use clear, concise language. Instead of “This design system is a comprehensive toolkit…,” try “Our design system is your guide for creating consistent, accessible user experiences.”

4. Create a Style Guide

The style guide ensures your design system maintains a unified look and feel. It should address:

• Visual identity: Define colors, typography, logos, and spacing. Include specific hex codes, font sizes, and usage guidelines. 
• Content tone and voice: Establish writing style, grammar, and tone guidelines. For example, “Use conversational language for tooltips, but formal language in reports.” 
• Examples and templates: Show real-world applications to help users understand abstract rules. 

Your style guide is more than a reference; it’s a tool for preserving brand integrity across teams and projects.

5. Plan for Scalability

As your product grows, so will the design system. Consider how components and documentation adapt to new platforms, devices, or user needs. 

Some strategies include:

• Modular components: Design components that can be easily customized or extended.
  Versioning: Use tools like UXPin Merge to manage different iterations of the design system. 
• Future-proof content: Include placeholders or plans for upcoming features and expansions.
  

Scalability isn’t a one-time task; it’s an ongoing consideration.

6. Prioritize Accessibility

Accessibility makes your design system usable by everyone, regardless of their abilities. 

Your documentation should include:

• Color contrast guidelines: Specify minimum contrast ratios for text and background. 
• Alt-text and ARIA roles: Provide examples for screen readers and assistive technologies. 
• Keyboard navigation rules: Define focus states, tab orders, and shortcuts. 
• Inclusive language: Avoid jargon or terminology that might exclude certain audiences.
  

Document accessibility requirements alongside each component. For example, if 

documenting a button, include guidance on color contrast, focus styles, and aria-label usage.

7. Create a Reusable Template

Reusable templates save time and promote consistency. 

Include fields for:

• Component name and description. 
• Visual guidelines (e.g., images or style specs). 
• Behavior guidelines (e.g., interactions or animations). 
• Code snippets or integration instructions. 

Share these templates in a centralized location, and encourage your team to use them when documenting new components or updates.

8. Develop a Single Source of Truth

A single source of truth ensures all team members are aligned. This could be a central repository containing:

• Standardized design assets (e.g., icons, logos, and color palettes). 
• Component libraries with live examples and code. 
• Unified vocabulary or naming conventions for elements. 
• Tools like UXPin Merge make it easy to manage this repository, ensuring everyone accesses the same up-to-date resources.

9. Include a Starter’s Kit

A starter kit simplifies onboarding by providing everything a new team member needs to use the design system. 

This might include:

• Step-by-step tutorials or walkthroughs. 
• Key tools or software setup guides. 
• Links to critical components or style guides.
  

These resources ensure a smooth transition and reduce learning curves for new users.

10. Collect Feedback

Feedback helps identify areas where the documentation can improve. 

To make feedback accessible to everyone:

• Include a feedback form on the documentation site. 
• Host regular review sessions with team members. 
• Use simple feedback tools for non-technical users, avoiding reliance on GitHub or complex systems. 

Encourage open communication and regularly incorporate feedback into updates.

11. Distribute Responsibility

Documentation is a team effort. Assign specific sections to team members based on their expertise. 

For example:

• Developers can document technical aspects like API integrations. 
• Designers can focus on visual elements and style guides. 
• Product managers can contribute user stories or use cases. 

This collaborative approach lightens the workload and ensures diverse perspectives.

12. Keep It Updated

A stale design system is a liability. 

Schedule regular reviews to:

• Align documentation with current design and code. 
• Fix inconsistencies or outdated content. 
• Introduce new tools, templates, or workflows. 

Use automated tools to sync updates across systems, keeping everything in harmony.

Start Building Your Application for Free Today

Design systems serve as a single source of truth for design and development to help teams build products faster and more efficiently. Keeping them updated and in sync with existing code can become difficult as design systems grow. 

Design-to-code tools like ion help automate this process by turning visual components from your design system into production-ready code. With ion, you can transform your Figma design system into functional code that matches your:

• Specific components
• Styles
• Existing codebase

This helps designers and developers work better together and unlocks engineering resources so they can focus on more complex tasks.

Related Reading

• Benefits of a Design System
• Best Design Systems

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