Design System 101: An Overview
Written by
Ashu Sirswa
UI/UX Designer
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Imagine building a LEGO set without instructions, or baking a cake without a recipe – pretty chaotic, right? So, in a process of building or creating something, everyone need guidelines. Same is applicable when we come in web-designing. For this, the Design system plays a crucial role as a set of rules and guides.
What are Design Systems?
Design systems are like the secret recipes that make websites and apps look not just good, but also feel consistent and easy to use. It's a set of components you can use again and again. They follow clear rules. You can put them together in many ways to create different apps.
The People behind it
So, who came up with this clever idea? Well, while there's no single "inventor" of design systems, they've been influenced by graphic design principles from legends like Dieter Rams. Over time, tech companies like Apple refined these ideas into what we now call Design Systems.
What a Design System includes?
Well, it comprises of several elements. In one sentence we can say all reusable assets including grids and spacing guides. We can categorize the elements as Style guide, Reusable components and Spacing guides.
- Style guide: Style guides or sometimes refer as Brand guides is the detailed overview of colors, Typography, Icons library, tone of voice etc. for a brand. Know more about Brand guidelines here.
- Reusable components: All the buttons, inputs, cards or similar visual assets which are used over and over again are the core part for a Design System. Few examples such as Material design system, Tailwind UI Kit etc.
- Spacing guides: It typically includes the Grid system and spacing guides between elements.
Is it only for Designers?
Design systems are important tools. They help not just with design but also developers, marketers, and UX researchers.
Developers use these systems to keep UIs the same. This speeds up making prototypes and reduces errors. Marketing teams use them to make sure brand messages match everywhere. This makes campaigns more effective. UX researchers rely on them for consistent user experiences. They can then improve things with data.
These systems provide clear rules on language, colors, fonts, and page layouts. They ensure consistency as a brand grows. They keep a unified strategy across all customer interactions.
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Why should you use Design System?
A Design System is key to making good systems. It helps us know what users need. It makes things work better, grow easily, be reliable, and give a great user experience. It also cuts costs and makes sure we follow rules and keep things safe.
Here are some of the top benefits:
- Consistency: Like your favorite fast-food joint where the fries taste the same every time, a design system keeps your interfaces consistent. Same look, same feel, no surprises!
- Efficiency: When you have all the building blocks ready to go, you don’t have to start from scratch each time. This means faster turnaround and more time for Netflix... I mean, other important work.
- Collaboration: With a design system, everyone’s singing from the same hymn sheet. Designers and developers can work together harmoniously, reducing misunderstandings and office squabbles over button colors.
- Scalability: Your app's got big dreams, right? With a design system, it's ready to grow. Adding new features becomes as easy as pie because you’ve already got the foundation sorted.
- Usability: Since everything's based on tried-and-tested components, users get a smoother ride. No more getting lost in confusing menus or mismatched buttons – it's all intuitive.
Conclusion
A design system is a valuable tool for the Marketing team and Web-Designers and as it ensures consistency, scalability, and efficiency in the design process. Implementing a design system helps create better user experiences and build stronger brand identities across digital touchpoints. It promotes consistency and efficiency in design and development.
