Design Systems

What is the problem?

When I approach creating a design system, it’s never just about the components or colors—it’s about crafting a resource that empowers teams to deliver better experiences faster and more consistently. Across all my projects, my process is rooted in collaboration, adaptability, and a relentless focus on solving real problems for the people using the system.

Discovery and Problem-Solving

Every design system starts with understanding the landscape. I begin by immersing myself in the workflows and challenges of the teams that will use the system. Whether it’s designers struggling with inconsistencies, developers rebuilding components from scratch, or product managers looking for scalability, I aim to pinpoint pain points and align the team on what the design system needs to solve.

I work closely with stakeholders to define the system's core principles. Consistency, efficiency, accessibility, and scalability are frequent priorities, but every system is tailored to the unique needs of the organization or product.

Laying the Foundation

Once the challenges are clear, I set the foundation by defining the system’s core building blocks:

  • Colors: I create a palette with a clear structure—primary, secondary, neutrals, and accessibility-friendly options.

  • Typography: Fonts are thoughtfully organized by purpose—headings, body text, and captions—ensuring a clear hierarchy and consistent readability across all designs.

  • Spacing and Grids: I define a consistent scale for margins, paddings, and layouts so that every element feels intentional and balanced.

This foundation becomes the language of the design system—a shared vocabulary that connects designers, developers, and product teams

Crafting Flexible Components

With the foundation in place, I turn to components—the heart of any design system. My focus is always on creating reusable, scalable components that solve everyday design needs:

  • Buttons: These often start with primary, secondary, and disabled states but expand to include icon buttons, loading states, and CTAs.

  • Inputs and Forms: Text fields, dropdowns, and radio buttons are designed with accessibility and usability in mind, with clear error states and hover interactions.

  • Cards and Modals: Flexible, customizable containers that adapt to different layouts and content.

I prioritize simplicity and functionality, working closely with developers to ensure every component translates seamlessly from Figma to code. Each element has clear documentation detailing its purpose, variations, and usage guidelines.

Patterns, Theming, and Documentation

Once the foundational styles and components are complete, I focus on scaling the system to address more complex needs:

  • Patterns: Combining components into common UI patterns, such as navigation bars, search interfaces, or dashboards, to ensure consistency across products.

  • Theming: Establishing dark and light mode capabilities by extending design tokens to support multiple themes. This ensures flexibility for future use cases.

  • Documentation: I build a living, breathing resource that includes everything from quick-start guides for new team members to detailed technical specs for developers.

Documentation is just as important as the components themselves. Without it, even the best-designed systems fail to deliver value.

Imagery idea: A dashboard of UI patterns, such as header menus or login screens, annotated with component dependencies and best practices.

Delivering and Iterating

A design system’s actual value lies in how it’s adopted and used. I ensure the system is introduced thoughtfully, offering:

  1. Onboarding Workshops: Hands-on sessions with designers and developers to demonstrate how the system can integrate into their workflows.

  2. Ready-Made Resources: Figma templates, React components, and tokens that make adoption seamless.

  3. Ongoing Feedback Loops: I establish an advocate program where teams can share feedback, request features, and suggest improvements. This keeps the system alive and evolving.

The systems I build are never static—they grow and adapt with the product and the organization. Whether adding new components, improving documentation, or refining accessibility standards, I always focus on delivering value.