

Consider how many buttons variations exist in your experience. Components will present variations of the fundamental element. These are the building blocks utilising design tokens to render a fundamental element (e.g. The most recognisable parts of a Design System Components. An excellent example is Salesforce - Lightning Design System, Design Tokens. We want a single definition that builds connectivity and a standard definition through those utilising it. #b9b9b9), a developer may call it a sass variable. pigeon grey), designers may call it a hex value (e.g. Consider a single colour the brand will likely call that colour an abstract name (e.g.

Platform agnostic definitions are the fundamentals of your design system assets. Tokens are the rudimentary beginnings of design system assets. The adoption is critical to continues success realised as you scale your design system(s).Įverything starts here. The user experience of your design system has a direct correlation to the adoption of your design system by intended audiences. Tree-testing: Invite your audience and test trees of hypothetical menu hierarchies, ensuring your audiences' intuitive findability of content. Jobs to be done: What are the top jobs your audience undertakes? Consider the use-cases of each of your audiences the Design System serves.Ĭontent inventory: What current content exists or is required by each audience segment?Ĭard Sorting: Begin appreciating your macro domains that have a hierarchical affinity to one another. What is critical is validating the information architecture that is appropriate for your organisation. But appreciate different audiences, scales, and maturities of organisations and their design systems into different information architecture. Research Competition: Get inspired by other design systems. I suggest approaching your semantics and information architecture like you would any other human-centred information architecture initiative.Īudience: Who is your audience utilising or contributing to the Design System? Get ambitious, information architect structures should be sustainable models to serve the future.

My issue with the Atomic Design framework has always been how prescriptive the categorisation is. What does a ‘component’ mean to you? What is a pattern or a template, or a token? One of the most well-known early thought leaders in this space being Brad Frost, Atomic Design. If your ambition for your design system is to help the entire stack of the business, then this is where semantics become really important. The building blocks of a design system are the assets and supporting guidelines.
