Why a design system?

Some rough notes on benefits of design systems

1. They help with consistency, so there are fewer unique solutions for similar problems.
2. They make design and development faster.
3. They free designers and developers to focus on bigger, more specific, and unique problems.
4. Creates a unified language across disciplines
5. Can serve as an education tool

Last point is often the biggest one, as it compounds.

Designers don't have to sweat the small stuff, so they can spend more time creating value and solving difficult and sometimes more innovative problems. Allows you to stay focused and not have to context switch.

This also works in large scale companies where there are many designers, but they are distributed across the company. The design system gives a common language to share which helps make a coherent and cohesive experience.

When the design system is boring, it frees designers and developers to do the new stuff, to solve new problems. The design system carries the burden of the boring, so that designers and developers don’t have to. https://bigmedium.com/ideas/boring-design-systems.html

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