How to Build Design Systems That Grow With Your Team, Not Against It.
Most design systems start strong but collapse under scale. Here's how to build one that evolves.
AUDIENCE
Designers
SUBJECT
Design ∩ Growth
READ TIME
6 minutes
PUBLISHED
January 2024
Why Design Systems Matter More Than Ever
Digital products today are no longer static. They live across multiple screens, platforms, and contexts. As teams grow, so do inconsistencies. Button styles multiply. Navigation patterns fracture. Onboarding new teammates starts to feel like archaeology.
Design systems emerged from the chaos – a way to bring consistency, speed, and clarity to growing teams.
What Exactly Is a Design System?
A design system is a shared set of rules, components, and tools that help teams build consistent, scalable products – faster and with fewer questions. It’s a complete ecosystem that includes:
Style Guides: Colors, typography, iconography, etc.
Component Libraries: Iputs, modals, cards, etc.
Interaction Patterns: How users flow from screen to screen.
Design Principles & Values: The ‘why’ behind design decisions.
Documentation: So others can replicate and build on the system.
Design Tokens: Reusable value holders (e.g., color, spacing, radius) that sync design & code.
Think of it as your product’s Design OS – powering every pixel, pattern, and principle.
Real Benefits of Design Systems (Beyond Just Consistency)
Done right, a design system becomes a force multiplier:
Quality: Designs feel more polished and intentional.
Speed: Teams design and build faster by reusing existing components.
Alignment: Writers, PMs, and engineers all speak the same design language.
Scale: New designers and developers onboard quicker.
Shopify’s Polaris is a prime example. It keeps hundreds of merchant-facing tools consistent, while giving developers clear implementation guidance.
The Cost of No Design System
Here’s what chaos can look like (based on common patterns across organisations):
A fintech startup had 4 different card styles across its dashboard – all created by different designers.
At a media company, developers built the same table component from scratch three times.
In a SaaS company, inconsistent modals caused user confusion and a high drop-off during onboarding.
In an edtech platform, conflicting button styles confused users – resulting in fewer course completions.
These aren’t just visual bugs – they’re expensive operational inefficiencies.
When Should You Build a Design System?
The answer isn’t “right away.” The answer is: when the cost of not having one becomes too high.
Look out for these signs:
Product spans multiple platforms (web, iOS, Android).
You see visual inconsistencies in live products.
Designers are redoing work someone already solved.
Engineers complain about unclear specs or having to rebuild components.
Teams spend more time debating design choices than solving real user problems.
If you're experiencing 2–3 of these, it's time to take it seriously.
How to Actually Build One That Scales
Let’s break it down:
Audit What Already Exists
Start by gathering every component, screen, and flow. Look for repetition, inconsistencies, and patterns. Document everything.
For example, when Google introduced Material Design, they began by auditing UI patterns across their entire product suite. The audit revealed hundreds of inconsistencies in padding, color, and elevation across Android apps. This insight formed the foundation of a unified design language.
Define the Foundation
Lock in your core: color system, typography scales, spacing tokens, and iconography. Then build your first reusable components (buttons, inputs, modals).
Start small. If you're overwhelmed, build only for one platform first (e.g., just web).
Document Like Your Team’s Life Depends on It
Because it does. Good documentation turns a system into a product. Great documentation turns it into a culture.
Pair every component with: "What it’s for", "When to use it (or not)", "States (hover, focus, error)", and "Code snippets or links".
Align With Engineering Early
A beautiful Figma file is useless if engineers can’t implement it. Sync design tokens with code. Invite devs into your design system meetings. Build together, not sequentially.
For example, IBM’s Carbon was co-built by design and engineering teams. Its seamless handoff has made it a favorite reference across the industry.
Get Leadership Buy-In
Design systems are long games. You’ll need resources, time, and ongoing headcount. Frame it in business terms: speed, scalability, cost savings.
For example, when Atlassian scaled its product suite, their design system helped ship new tools faster while keeping the UX consistent – an outcome leadership cared about.
Examples of Great Design Systems
Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines: Balances form & function, setting UX standards across platforms.
Microsoft’s Fluent: Built to work seamlessly across Windows, Office, and the web.
GitHub’s Primer: Tailored for developers, prioritizing accessibility and clarity.
Google’s Material Design: Set the gold standard for modular design with lots of details.
Adobe's Spectrum: Powers a unified experience across Adobe tools, emphasizing scalability.
Uber’s Base: A robust design system optimized for performance and flexibility.
Wise' Design System: Built to support a global audience with accessible design.
GitLab’s Pajamas: Aligns design & code with detailed documentation & scalable UI components.
Each solves for its company’s unique DNA – but shares a foundation of clarity, consistency, and collaboration.
Final Thoughts
Design systems aren’t just for design ops nerds or unicorn startups. They’re tools for growing teams to work smarter, not harder. Don’t build one too early. But definitely don’t wait until your product is a Frankenstein of mismatched components. Start small. Build with others. Document everything. Revisit and refine often.
A good design system grows with your product.
A great one grows with your team.
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