In today’s world, a seamless user experience is crucial for any product. Design systems have become a powerful tool to ensure consistency, efficiency, and quality in applications. But what exactly makes design systems so effective, and how do they enhance workflows, user experiences, and accessibility? Here, we explore why they are indispensable to your design and development process.
What is a Design System?
• Modularity • Efficiency • Enhanced Collaboration • Accessibility
A design system is a collection of reusable components, patterns, and guidelines that simplify the creation of cohesive and user-friendly interfaces. It acts as a unified framework, providing developers, designers, and product owners with a “single source of truth” for all elements within a product.
By focusing on modularity, a design system establishes a shared language that fosters collaboration and ensures consistency across teams. This modular approach allows elements to be reused and scaled seamlessly across projects, eliminating unnecessary work.
Design systems are not static—they evolve with technological advancements, industry standards, and accessibility requirements. Teams can continuously improve and adapt the system to meet new expectations and technical opportunities.
A robust design system also strengthens collaboration between designers and developers. It becomes a shared platform where all expertise can contribute to and refine the system over time, leading to innovative, adaptable, and inclusive digital products.
Finally, design systems drive efficiency. By using pre-built components, developers can focus more on creating new features rather than building basic UI elements from scratch. This reduces development time and optimizes resource usage.
Even for smaller teams, a basic design system can enhance efficiency and collaboration, making it easier to scale and evolve the system over time.
Accessibility and Inclusion
A frequently overlooked benefit of design systems is their role in promoting accessibility. By integrating accessibility standards directly into components, teams create consistent and inclusive experiences that meet industry standards such as WCAG.
Successful Examples
A Case Study: The Swedish Public Employment ServiceArbetsförmedlingen
An inspiring example of a successful design system is The Swedish Public Employment Service’sArbetsförmedlingen’s, which prioritizes accessibility, documentation, and user-friendliness. Their extensive library of reusable components supports Sweden’s push for digital inclusion in public services.
SJ’s Design System
Much like Volvo’s decision in 1959 to release the patent for the three-point seatbelt to save lives, many companies today openly share their design systems to help others create better digital experiences. One such example is SJ’s design system, where team members from Frank fam contributed to its development.
Skandia and Frank
At Skandia, Frank consultants seamlessly integrated into the core design system team, playing a key role in creating and improving accessible, user-friendly, and design-oriented components. Our contributions included:
• Component Development and Enhancement: Designing and developing a wide range of components, such as buttons, forms, and navigation elements, with a focus on accessibility, usability, and visual consistency.
• Accessibility Expertise: Implementing WCAG standards and automated testing to ensure long-term accessibility.
• Documentation and Training: Creating comprehensive guidelines and conducting training to ensure proper use and implementation of the design system.
• Testing and Quality Assurance: Rigorous testing procedures to guarantee the highest quality and a smooth user experience.
Key Benefits of a Design System
• Efficiency Through Reusability
Save time and resources by leveraging pre-built components like buttons, cards, and forms.
Accelerate production and allow designers to focus on solving complex problems instead of routine tasks.
• Centralized Control and Quality Assurance
Centralized management of components ensures consistency and quick updates.
Quality assurance is simplified as standard components are already tested and maintained.
• Scalability and Collaboration
Simplifies onboarding of new team members and makes it easier to follow established guidelines.
Enhances cross-functional collaboration through structured documentation and shared workflows.
A design system is not just an investment in structure and organization—it’s an engine for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable growth.
FAQs About Design Systems and Reusable Components
Q: How do design systems help with project timelines?
A: By reusing components from a design system, developers can significantly reduce development time. The system enables them to focus on building new features instead of recreating UI elements, resulting in faster deliveries and better time management.
Q: What role does a design system play in accessibility?
A: A design system helps ensure accessibility is maintained across all components. By integrating accessibility directly into the system, you create consistent and inclusive experiences that meet industry standards like WCAG.
Q: Do design systems work for small teams or startups?
A: Absolutely! Even small teams can benefit from the efficiency and consistency that design systems offer. Starting with a simple set of components and scaling over time can improve collaboration and save time.
