Design Systems Aren’t Hard

Design systems aren’t hard.
But they are complex.
And they’re also hard.

Design systems are often thought of in terms of the visible parts - a Sketch file, a repository of React code, a documentation website. But these are only the artifacts of the system. A design system is actually the thinking and the decision making and the principles of your organization. Producing the artifacts is the easy part - maintaining the institutional value of the design system is the hard part.

In this talk we’ll dive into the lessons I’ve learned during my time working on a large design system for a fast growing company. Hopefully we can help you avoid some of the common pitfalls and enjoy the quiet satisfaction of working on a design system so successful no one ever thinks twice about it.

Presented at:
OpenJS 2020
Full Slidedeck with Speaker Notes:
https://github.com/milsyobtaf/prez/blob/primary/2020/OpenJS/design-systems-arent-hard-openjs_notes.pdf

Transcript

1. DUSTIN YOUNSE But they are complex. And also hard. DESIGN SYSTEMS AREN’T HARD OPENJS 2020
2. WHO’S THIS GUY? @milsyobtaf from the internet I’ve worked on large websites since 2008 I’ve worked with “design systems” since we called them “swatches” and “style tiles” Currently in Design Engineering at Indeed, a job that comes with the greatest laptop sticker
3. WHAT IS A DESIGN SYSTEM?
5. Organizations which design systems … are constrained to produce designs which are copies of the communication structures of these organizations." CONWAY’S LAW
6. Your website is a manifestation of your organization’s problems “UNCLE” DAVE RUPERT’S LAW
8. WHAT ISN’T A DESIGN SYSTEM?
9. A FIGMA LIBRARY
10. WHAT ISN’T A DESIGN SYSTEM?
11. A REACT COMPONENT LIBRARY
12. WHAT ISN’T A DESIGN SYSTEM?
13. AN EXTERNAL WEBSITE PROMOTING YOUR DESIGN SYSTEM
14. THESE ARE ARTIFACTS - NOT THE SYSTEM
15. SO… WHAT IS A DESIGN SYSTEM?
16. AN AGREEMENT ON HOW DIGITAL PRODUCTS ARE MADE
17. DESIGN SYSTEM AGREEMENTS User Interface Design: how a digital experience looks Interaction Design: how a digital experience feels Content Strategy: how a digital experience sounds Documentation: how a digital experience is crafted
18. ⌛ DESIGN SYSTEMS TAKE TIME
20. ⌛ DESIGN SYSTEMS TAKE TIME AND THEY TAKE MONEY
21. WHY BOTHER WITH A DESIGN SYSTEM?
22. DESIGN SYSTEMS ARE ALL ABOUT SCALE Interface Design at scale Interaction Building at scale Content Creation at scale
23. DESIGN SYSTEMS ARE ALL ABOUT SCALE When everyone on your team knows how a thing should be built, they can just build it.
24. DESIGN SYSTEMS ARE ALL ABOUT SCALE When everyone on your team knows how a thing should be built, they can just build it. #1 Support Request: How do I do X?
25. DESIGN SYSTEMS ARE ALL ABOUT SCALE When everyone on your team knows how a thing should be built, they can just build it. #1 Support Request: How do I do X? #2 Support Request: Why do I do X?
26. A DESIGN SYSTEM IS A SERVICE NOT A PRODUCT
27. YOU NEED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, NOT WRITE CODE
29. IF YOU ONLY HAVE THE TIME OR THE MONEY FOR ONE ARTIFACT, WRITE DOCUMENTATION
30. DESIGN SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION If a Design System is made up of agreements, you need to write those agreements down.
31. DESIGN SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION If a Design System is made up of agreements, you need to write those agreements down. If you have the budget, hire a Service Designer.
32. DESIGN SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION If a Design System is made up of agreements, you need to write those agreements down. If you have the budget, hire a Service Designer. Should change as often as necessary.
33. DESIGN SYSTEM HELPS EVERYONE
34. ACCESSIBILITY AT SCALE Buttons that work as buttons
35. ACCESSIBILITY AT SCALE Buttons that work as buttons Links that work as links
36. ACCESSIBILITY AT SCALE Buttons that work as buttons Links that work as links Animations that respect prefers-reduced-motion
37. ACCESSIBILITY AT SCALE Buttons that work as buttons Links that work as links Animations that respect prefers-reduced-motion INCLUSION AT SCALE
38. ACCESSIBILITY AT SCALE Buttons that work as buttons Links that work as links Animations that respect prefers-reduced-motion INCLUSION AT SCALE Form fields that accept accented characters
39. ACCESSIBILITY AT SCALE Buttons that work as buttons Links that work as links Animations that respect prefers-reduced-motion INCLUSION AT SCALE Form fields that accept accented characters Right-to-left text presentation that just works
40. IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE
41. WRITE DOCUMENTATION
42. HIRE A SERVICE DESIGNER WRITE DOCUMENTATION
43. DESIGN SYSTEMS ARE HARD
44. DESIGN SYSTEMS ARE HARD AND THAT’S THE WORK
45. - Why Every Design System Needs a Service Designer - Conway’s Law / Uncle Dave's Law - Anatomy of a Design System - Design System Checklist - How the Right Design System Streamlines a Large Organization’s Digital Development RESOURCES