Building a Design System from Scratch
After working on design systems for companies like Vault Financial and several SaaS startups, I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. Here’s my comprehensive guide to building a design system that actually gets used.
What is a Design System?
A design system is more than a component library. It’s a complete set of standards, documentation, and principles that help teams create consistent products at scale.
The Three Pillars
- Design Tokens - The atomic values (colors, spacing, typography)
- Components - Reusable UI building blocks
- Patterns - Common solutions to recurring problems
Starting with Design Tokens
Design tokens are the foundation of your system. Here’s how I structure them:
{
"color": {
"primary": {
"50": "#eff6ff",
"500": "#3b82f6",
"900": "#1e3a8a"
},
"semantic": {
"success": "{color.green.500}",
"error": "{color.red.500}",
"warning": "{color.yellow.500}"
}
},
"spacing": {
"xs": "4px",
"sm": "8px",
"md": "16px",
"lg": "24px",
"xl": "32px"
}
}Component Architecture
When building components, I follow these principles:
Composition over Configuration
Instead of creating a mega-component with dozens of props:
// Avoid this
<Card
title="Hello"
subtitle="World"
image="/img.jpg"
hasButton
buttonText="Click"
buttonVariant="primary"
/>
// Prefer this
<Card>
<Card.Image src="/img.jpg" />
<Card.Header>
<Card.Title>Hello</Card.Title>
<Card.Subtitle>World</Card.Subtitle>
</Card.Header>
<Card.Footer>
<Button variant="primary">Click</Button>
</Card.Footer>
</Card>Documentation is Key
A design system without documentation is just a component library nobody knows how to use. Include:
- Usage guidelines - When to use each component
- Code examples - Copy-paste ready snippets
- Do’s and Don’ts - Visual examples of correct usage
- Accessibility notes - ARIA labels, keyboard navigation
Measuring Success
Track these metrics to ensure adoption:
| Metric | Target |
|---|---|
| Component coverage | >80% of UI |
| Design-dev handoff time | Reduced by 50% |
| Visual consistency score | >90% |
| Developer satisfaction | >4/5 |
Conclusion
Building a design system is a marathon, not a sprint. Start small, get feedback early, and iterate continuously. The best design system is one that evolves with your product and team.