Design systems and why it’s imperative to declare them before designing UI

A design system is a set of standardized guidelines for designing and developing user interfaces. Declaring a design system is important because it helps ensure that the final product is cohesive, consistent, and efficient. A design system can provide a shared language and set of tools for designers and developers to use, which can improve communication and collaboration. It can also save time and effort by providing reusable UI components and established design guidelines.

There are several benefits to building a design system for UI design:

1. Consistency: A design system helps ensure that all parts of a product have a consistent look and feel, which can improve the user experience.
2. Efficiency: A design system can save time and effort by providing reusable UI components and established design guidelines. This can be especially helpful for large organizations with multiple designers and developers working on different projects.
3. Scalability: As a product grows and evolves, a design system can help ensure that new features and updates are consistent with the overall design. This can make it easier to scale a product and maintain a cohesive user experience.
4. Collaboration: A design system can facilitate communication and collaboration between designers and developers by providing a shared language and set of tools.
5. Maintainability: A well-documented design system can make it easier to maintain and update a product over time, reducing the need for costly redesigns.

There is a range of components that can be included in a design system, and the specific components will depend on the needs and goals of the product. Here are some common components that are often included in a design system:

Color palette: A set of standardized colors to be used throughout the product. A color palette is a set of colors that are used throughout a product’s user interface (UI). In a design system, the color palette is typically chosen to support the brand identity and visual aesthetic of the product. It can include a primary color scheme, which is the main set of colors used in the UI, as well as secondary and tertiary colors that are used for accents and emphasis.

The color palette is an important component of a design system because it helps create a cohesive look and feel for the product. It can also play a role in conveying the brand’s personality and tone, as well as supporting usability by using colors to differentiate and highlight important elements. A design system might also include guidelines for how to use the colors in the UI, such as which colors to use for headings, buttons, and backgrounds.

Typography: Typography refers to the design and use of typefaces (fonts) in a user interface (UI). In a design system, typography is typically standardized to create a cohesive look and feel for the product, and to support readability and usability. A design system’s typography component typically includes a set of font styles and sizes that are used throughout the UI. This might include font styles for headings, body text, and other elements such as buttons and labels. The design system might also specify guidelines for how to use these font styles, such as when to use which size or style for different types of content.

In addition to specifying the specific font styles and sizes, a design system’s typography component might also include guidelines for other aspects of type design, such as line spacing, letter spacing, and hierarchy. These guidelines can help create a consistent and readable UI that supports the user experience.

Iconography: Iconography refers to the use of icons in a user interface (UI). In a design system, iconography is typically standardized to create a cohesive look and feel for the product, and to support usability.

A design system’s iconography component typically includes a set of icons that are used throughout the UI. These icons can serve a variety of purposes, such as representing different actions, functions, or states. For example, an icon might be used to represent a search function or to indicate that a menu is expandable.

In addition to specifying the specific icons to be used, a design system’s iconography component might also include guidelines for how to use the icons in the UI. This might include guidelines for size, color, and placement, as well as guidance on when to use each icon.

Overall, a well-designed set of icons can help improve the usability of a product by providing clear and intuitive visual cues for users.

Buttons: In a design system, the button component typically includes guidelines for the design and usage of buttons in the user interface (UI). This might include specifications for the appearance of the buttons, such as their size, shape, and color, as well as guidelines for when to use different types of buttons.

For example, a design system might specify that primary action buttons should be large and rectangular, with a bold color, while secondary action buttons should be smaller and circular, with a muted color. The design system might also specify that certain types of buttons should only be used in specific contexts, such as using a “cancel” button only in dialogs or forms.

A design system’s button component might also include guidelines for the functionality of the buttons, such as how they should behave when clicked or hovered over.

Overall, the button component of a design system helps ensure that buttons are consistently designed and used throughout the UI, which can improve the usability and visual appeal of the product.

Input fields, Dropdown, and Checkboxes: In a design system, the input field, dropdown, and checkbox components are typically standardized elements used in forms and other user interfaces (UI) elements that require user input.

The input field component typically includes guidelines for the design and usage of text input fields in the UI. This might include specifications for the appearance of the fields, such as their size, shape, and color, as well as guidelines for when to use different types of input fields (e.g., short vs. long, single-line vs. multi-line).

The dropdown component typically includes guidelines for the design and usage of dropdown menus in the UI. This might include specifications for the appearance of the menus, such as their size, shape, and color, as well as guidelines for when to use dropdown menus (e.g., for long lists of options that would be unwieldy in other formats).

The checkbox component typically includes guidelines for the design and usage of checkboxes in the UI. This might include specifications for the appearance of the checkboxes, such as their size, shape, and color, as well as guidelines for when to use checkboxes (e.g., for lists of options where multiple selections are allowed).

Overall, standardizing these types of UI elements can help improve the usability and visual consistency of the product.

In addition, a design system can help improve the user experience by creating a cohesive look and feel for a product. It can also make it easier to maintain and update the product over time, reducing the need for costly redesigns.

There are many popular design systems used in UX design, each with its own strengths and best uses. Here are a few examples of popular design systems:

1. Material Design (https://material.io) — Developed by Google, Material Design is a design system that provides guidelines for the design of interfaces, visual elements, and interactions.
2. iOS Human Interface Guidelines (https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/) — Apple’s design system for its iOS operating system, provides guidelines for the design of iOS apps and interfaces.
3. Microsoft Fluent Design System (https://www.microsoft.com/design/fluent/) — Microsoft’s design system for its products and services provides guidelines for designing user interfaces and interactions.
4. Salesforce Lightning Design System (https://www.lightningdesignsystem.com/) — Salesforce’s design system for its products, provides guidelines for the design of user interfaces and interactions.
5. Atlassian Design System (https://atlassian.design/) — Atlassian’s design system for its products, provides guidelines for the design of user interfaces and interactions.

These are just a few examples of the many design systems that are used in UX design. Each design system is unique and will be better suited to specific products and audiences than others.

Dear Reader, I appreciate your support and encouragement, and I hope that you will continue to follow my work in the future. If you have any feedback or suggestions, I would love to hear from you.

Again, thank you for your interest and support.