In today’s fast-paced business landscape, design systems take a backseat against revenue-generating initiatives, hindering their full potential. However, as organisations begin to recognise the significant impact of design systems on efficiency and collaboration, the tides should turn. A strategic and holistic approach is required to overcome the barriers to adopting design systems in larger organisations.
Understanding the logistical implications of design systems can be complex, but it’s crucial to address the common challenges head-on. Lack of buy-in from leadership, limited understanding of design system benefits, the complexity of implementation, and poor communication and collaboration are frequent roadblocks. However, it’s essential to emphasise that the success of a design system not only relies on the system itself but also on the environment it operates within.
Creating a supportive environment for design systems requires a concerted effort from leadership and the organisation as a whole. Leadership buy-in, a culture of collaboration, adequate resources, and infrastructure are key factors in nurturing a successful design system. When these elements align, organisations can implement and utilise design systems to their fullest potential and improve the path to new products and services.
While navigating the complexities of organisational dynamics, designers face challenges in the perception of their roles. Often seen as visual designers rather than experience designers, they must bridge the gap by advocating for human-centred approaches and speaking the language of business and technology. This added layer of responsibility calls for enhanced advocacy and leadership skills to onboard others into the world of design, thereby facilitating a better understanding of the value designers bring; a skillset often overlooked.
For established global brands with multiple labels, embedding an agile process into the creation of a design system is strategically beneficial. Starting with a clear understanding of business goals, involving stakeholders from across the organisation, and employing an agile development process are crucial steps. Additionally, using a centralised repository, providing documentation and training, and seeking early and frequent user feedback are best practices that ensure the design system’s effectiveness and that users are keen to adopt the product that they’re already aware of.
To streamline the design system creation process further, employing lightweight frameworks and version control systems can enhance collaboration, task management, and progress tracking. By learning, reviewing and installing these best practices, organisations can unlock the true potential of their design systems, achieving optimal efficiency and support for their departments’ needs.
- Start with a clear understanding of business goals: Aligning the design system with the organisation’s business goals is paramount. By identifying the specific objectives the design system is intended to support, you can prioritise the features and components that need to be included. This ensures that the design system directly contributes to the organisation’s strategic objectives.
- Involve stakeholders from across the organisation: Collaboration and cross-functional input are vital for a comprehensive and inclusive design system. Engage stakeholders from various teams and departments to gather diverse perspectives, requirements, and insights. By involving stakeholders early on, you can ensure that the design system meets the needs of all users and avoids potential conflicts down the line. This may be established in ritual stand-ups and release notifications.
- Embrace an agile development process: Agile methodologies provide a flexible and iterative approach to design system development. Adopting agile practices, such as Scrum or Kanban, enables teams to quickly iterate on the design system and gather feedback from users. Regularly reassess and adjust the design system based on user insights to ensure it evolves with changing needs.
- Establish a centralised and asynchronous repository: A centralised repository serves as a single source of truth for the design system. It allows teams to easily access and contribute to the design system components, guidelines, and documentation, so long as this is managed with fair governance. Implement version control to track changes, enable collaboration, and ensure consistency across teams and projects, which all feature within Figma.
- Provide comprehensive documentation and training: Clear and comprehensive documentation is essential for successfully adopting and using the design system. Document the design principles, guidelines, and usage instructions for each component. Additionally, offer training sessions and workshops to familiarise users with the design system and provide ongoing support. Make sure that the definition of each repository is clear and for which type of user through defined customer journeys.
- Seek early and frequent user feedback: Don’t wait until the design system is complete before gathering user feedback. Involve users and stakeholders throughout the development process to validate design decisions, gather insights, and identify areas for improvement. Regular feedback loops ensure that the design system aligns with user needs and preferences.
- Foster a culture of collaboration and continuous : Encourage a collaborative environment where designers, developers, and stakeholders work together to enhance the design system. Promote open communication, cross-team collaboration, and knowledge sharing. Embrace continuous improvement by regularly reviewing and refining the design system based on user feedback, emerging trends, and technological advancements.
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Organisations must recognise the value of design systems and create an environment that fosters their successful implementation. By prioritising design systems as a strategic asset and embracing an agile approach, businesses can optimise their design assets’ reach, improve efficiency, and create a cohesive user experience that drives growth in today’s dynamic market.
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