'Consistency' in design systems sometimes has the connotation of monotony, or 'uniform'. Everything starts to look the same and creative expression is stifled. [[20220621083440-design-system-flexibility]] That being said, this is only one definition. Other people may interpret it as closer to something like 'cohesive' or not jarring.
The exact definition of these words are so difficult, and have different meanings to different people. Swapping the word for another like 'unity' or 'cohesion' doesn't really fix the problem, but it shines a light on the fact that there's a problem.
The crux of this is consistency does not have to equal uniformity. The amount of consistency you want is flexible, and can change on a case-by-case basis.
You can build in flexibility through different levers in the design system:
Important to keep in mind for [[multi-brand design systems.]]
https://amyhupe.co.uk/articles/should-consistency-be-a-goal-for-design-systems/
[[design]] [[designsystem]] [[designsystemapi]] [[designsystembranding]]