Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Where to start?

Where to start?

Where to start?

STEP 1

STEP 1

STEP 1

First, breathe!

First, breathe!

First, breathe!

Let me guess... You must deliver new features, prototypes, and product improvements daily. When you're in a rush, there is no time for consistency, writing documentation, and proper handoff. Putting fires down doesn't make your process scalable.

You can achieve that with a design system.


I'm not talking just about a set of components but bringing together the whole organization. Defining foundations is pretty straightforward, but the magic and hard work lie in shared understanding and unified language.

Creating a design system isn't an easy task and can be overwhelming. There's no one-size-fits-all process, and this mini book outlines what I've found to work best. You will need to tweak the steps, but I'm confident you'll know how to adapt them to your needs once you understand the logic.

Let me guess... You must deliver new features, prototypes, and product improvements daily. When you're in a rush, there is no time for consistency, writing documentation, and proper handoff. Putting fires down doesn't make your process scalable.

You can achieve that with a design system.


I'm not talking just about a set of components but bringing together the whole organization. Defining foundations is pretty straightforward, but the magic and hard work lie in shared understanding and unified language.

Creating a design system isn't an easy task and can be overwhelming. There's no one-size-fits-all process, and this mini book outlines what I've found to work best. You will need to tweak the steps, but I'm confident you'll know how to adapt them to your needs once you understand the logic.

TIRED OF

TIRED OF

TIRED OF

All the boring questions?

All the boring questions?

All the boring questions?

We all probably hate the questions below since they take most of the focus and time.

We all probably hate the questions below since they take most of the focus and time.

We all probably hate the questions below since they take most of the focus and time.

Questions that designers usually get:

Questions that designers usually get:

Questions that developers usually get:

Questions that developers usually get:

Is this a duplicate?

What is our brand color?
What shade of grey are we using here?
Do you have 5 min for a wireframe?
Can you redesign this CTA button?
Where is our latest user flow?
Where's our logo?

Questions that designers usually get:

Is this a duplicate?

What is our brand color?
What shade of grey are we using here?
Do you have 5 min for a wireframe?
Can you redesign this CTA button?
Where is our latest user flow?
Where's our logo?

Questions that designers usually get:

This flow doesn't match the UI design.
Where are the assets?
Does this meet the code standards?
When will you finish the MVP?
Where is the latest documentation?
Any transitions? Do you have examples?
This doesn’t work. Let’s have a call.

Questions that developers usually get:

This flow doesn't match the UI design.
Where are the assets?
Does this meet the code standards?
When will you finish the MVP?
Where is the latest documentation?
Any transitions? Do you have examples?
This doesn’t work. Let’s have a call.

Questions that developers usually get:

WRITE IT DOWN

WRITE IT DOWN

WRITE IT DOWN

Start answering

Start answering

Start answering

Before diving too deep, I think you should have answers to the questions below. Having a clear understanding of where you want to go, it will help you build the plan.

Before diving too deep, I think you should have answers to the questions below. Having a clear understanding of where you want to go, it will help you build the plan.

Before diving too deep, I think you should have answers to the questions below. Having a clear understanding of where you want to go, it will help you build the plan.

Who is the design system for?

What is our goal?

Why is it important for us?

How it will help us?

Do our interfaces look consistent?

How many resources can we put into building it?

How many resources can we

put into building it?

Will our design system be static or dynamic?

Will our design system be

static or dynamic?

How much time do we spend on reduntant tasks?

How much time do we spend

on reduntant tasks?

How much time do we spend cleaning up design or tech debt?

How much time do we spend

cleaning up design or tech debt?

Do we want to build a public or internal design system?

Do we want to build a public or

internal design system?

BENEFITS

BENEFITS

BENEFITS

Design system brings

Design system brings

Design system brings

One source of truth

Structured collection of reusable components, guided by clear standards.

Maximized effectiveness

Enhanced collaboration and

streamlined teamwork.

Enhanced collaboration and

streamlined teamwork.

Increased ROI

Speed up your work, reduce repetative tasks, save a lot of costs.

More time for important stuff

Structure saves time so that you can focus on high-level tasks.

With a well-oiled machine expect more 

benefits like:

With a well-oiled machine expect
more 

benefits like:

a more methodical and optimized workflow

faster onboarding of new team members

less design and technical debt
faster rapid testing and prototyping
the product of collaboration
cross-functional collaboration
up-to-date documentation
faster time to market
scalable solutions
added value

3, 2, 1

3, 2, 1

3, 2, 1

Let's start

Let's start

Let's start

Without further ado, let's start crafting your design system! But before you start, my best advice is that you don't try to copy tech giants at the start. Start with the "MVP," nail the process, and advance step by step. 





Without further ado, let's start crafting your design system! But before you start, my best advice is that you don't try to copy tech giants at the start. Start with the "MVP," nail the process, and advance step by step. 





Without further ado, let's start crafting your design system! But before you start, my best advice is that you don't try to copy tech giants at the start. Start with the "MVP," nail the process, and advance step by step. 





The Secret Of Getting Ahead Is Getting Started

The Secret Of Getting Ahead

Is Getting Started