Summary
During the talk, panelists Nathan, Don, and Nalini explored the multifaceted challenges and strategies involved in creating and scaling design systems within organizations. Don reflected on how at Intuit their design system journey started from backend engineering, demonstrating the importance of organizational alignment and addressing legacy technologies. Nalini shared insights from interviewing non-adopters, identifying engineering resistance often rooted in power dynamics rather than process inefficiency, and emphasized the importance of repeated demonstration of benefits to overcome such resistance. Nathan highlighted engaging creative UI designers by framing design systems as enabling rather than constraining, encouraging contribution and shared ownership. They also discussed the difficulties in maintaining consistency across platforms like iOS, Android, and web through extensible systems that balance shared elements and necessary divergences. Questions of product lifecycle, ROI justification, and system evolution surfaced, with the panelists agreeing design systems are living products that require ongoing stewardship, evolving with business and user needs. Key success factors include embedding accessibility, making the system the single source of truth via code, and providing ongoing support such as office hours, which transform the system from static documentation to an active design culture. Throughout, the dialogue emphasized the necessity of a collaborative boundary between design and development, the challenge of navigating subjective principles like beauty versus clarity, and how to communicate design system value effectively to leaders.
Key Insights
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Engineering non-adopters often resist design systems due to power dynamics rather than efficiency concerns.
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Design systems frequently emerge from backend engineering efforts aiming to reduce repetition and improve reuse.
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Legacy technology can be a major roadblock to adopting design systems, sometimes requiring costly re-architecture.
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Making the design system a single source of truth embedded in code prevents drifting from standards and ensures adoption.
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Framing design systems as enabling tools rather than constraints helps engage highly creative UI designers.
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Design systems must account for platform-specific divergences while maintaining a cohesive shared core.
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Design principles are interpretive and should guide conversations rather than dictate absolute rules.
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Success in design systems requires treating them as living products with ongoing maintenance, not one-off projects.
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Accessibility baked into design systems becomes a strong motivator for organizational adoption and compliance.
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Supporting users with mechanisms like studio office hours helps translate design systems into practical design solutions.
Notable Quotes
"Almost all the non-adopters were in engineering. They were the haters, interested in power within the organization more than efficiency."
"If your organization is healthy, the haters pretty quickly get marginalized."
"A pattern library is not a design system. Relying on documentation alone leads to inconsistency and erosion over time."
"Design systems are an investment in the future; re-architecture today pays dividends in nimbleness tomorrow."
"I try to position the system as an enabling force for designers to succeed better, not as confines or limits."
"Design principles have to be guiding ways and opportunities for conversations, not a strict scorecard."
"The design system is a living, breathing thing that should constantly evolve based on learning and user needs."
"The boundary between design and development must open up; I ask if designers can make pull requests to code."
"We get accessibility baked in, so if you use the design system properly, you pretty much guarantee compliance."
"When I heard ‘when are you going to be done?’ my answer is it’s never really done if you do it well."
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