Building a Design System for better adaptability
My Role
Design System Lead
Timeline
6 Months
Challenges That Slowed Us Down
But, as we began to dig deeper into the challenge, we quickly realized that we were facing a set of significant obstacles.
The first was switching between different types and color systems— an effort that was both tedious and time-consuming every time we started a new project. Then there was the challenge of creating a reusable architecture of tokens. We needed something that would be easy to understand and work with, something that wouldn't become overwhelming as projects grew in complexity. Finally, the components themselves were often inconsistent. What worked for one project might not fit the needs of another, leading to confusion and unnecessary back-and-forth.

Simplicity Over Complexity
We knew we had to rethink the way we approached design systems. Rather than starting with an overcomplicated solution, we decided to build something simple yet robust. We aimed for a token architecture that was reusable, efficient, and intuitive for everyone involved. We spent time understanding the basic needs of each project, tailoring the system to make sure it was adaptable for any scenario.
We researched and analyzed several existing design systems, learning from their successes and mistakes. Ultimately, we made a conscious decision to keep things as simple as possible.
Our aim was to create a system anyone could understand, even someone who had no prior experience with design systems. We didn't want it to feel like an intimidating, high-maintenance structure. We wanted ease of use to be at the heart of everything.


Building the System – An Iterative Approach

In the beginning, our enthusiasm led us to create a wide range of components. But as the list grew, we started realizing that we were getting sidetracked from our original goal—keeping the system lean and user-friendly. The temptation to overcomplicate things was strong, but we reminded ourselves that simplicity was the key.
Finally we got a tangible product which is being used by teams