Design systems are one of the key building blocks to highly scaled modern businesses. And with digital now the primary means of communicating, they serve as living, breathing guides that optimize the rapid design and development of customer experiences.
Aug. 6, 2021 | By One North, a TEKsystems company
As organizations rapidly accelerate their digital transformation efforts and business units become more dispersed globally, interest in design systems continues to rise. The result is an influx of apps, websites, portals and other new digital touchpoints to connect with customers. Having a single system that can fuel growth and maintain consistent customer and employee experiences is essential.
So, what are design systems?
- Despite the name, design systems are not software. They are living, breathing digital toolkits that are quickly becoming one of the key building blocks to highly scaled modern businesses.
- Design systems are not guidelines either; they are complex subclasses of specific aspects that drive the entire experience of your digital ecosystem. They include a variety of elements from many disciplines and skill sets.
- Design systems are not just for designers. It’s important to understand that design systems allow for smoother collaboration between all disciplines, and vendors and clients alike. They can exist to be an internal reference for your teams, or they can be shared externally for the world to use. Either way, they aid in brand governance and ensure consistency is maintained, regardless of who is creating experiences on behalf of your brand.
Design systems empower product and development teams to design and develop tools and customer experiences on the fly. All of which are essential, considering today’s need to pivot quickly to meet your audience’s fast-evolving expectations. They create a shared understanding of a brand’s look and feel and help align teams on how experiences should work.
Our experts at One North, our full-service digital agency, dive into the details and benefits of design systems and why they are so critical in today’s landscape.