How to Create a Design System for Your Website

Design systems are essential for creating consistent and user-friendly websites. They provide a set of guidelines and standards that ensure that all elements of the website, from the layout to the typography, work together seamlessly. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how to create a design system for your website.

Step 1: Define the goals of your design system

Before you begin creating your design system, it’s important to define the goals of your website. This will help you determine the elements that you need to include in your design system, such as typography, colour palette, and layout.

Step 2: Create a style guide

A style guide is a document that outlines the design elements that will be used on your website. This can include the colour palette, typography, and layout elements such as grid systems and spacing. The style guide should also include guidelines for how to use these elements consistently throughout the website.

Step 3: Design your UI components

Once you have your style guide in place, it’s time to start designing your UI components. These are the individual elements of your website, such as buttons, forms, and navigation. It’s important to design these components in a way that is consistent with the style guide, so that the website is cohesive and easy to use.

Step 4: Develop a pattern library

A pattern library is a collection of UI components that have been designed and developed according to your design system. The pattern library should include all of the UI components that will be used on your website, along with documentation on how to use each component.

Step 5: Test and refine

Once you have your design system and pattern library in place, it’s important to test them to ensure that they are working as intended. This can be done by conducting user testing and gathering feedback on the website. Use this feedback to refine your design system and make any necessary changes.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to create a design system for your website that is consistent, user-friendly, and easy to maintain. Remember that a design system is a living document, and should be updated and refined as needed.

List the benefits of creating a design system for your website

Creating a design system for your website has many benefits, including:

1. Consistency: A design system ensures that all elements of your website, such as layout, typography, and colour palette, work together seamlessly and consistently throughout the site.
2. Efficiency: Having a design system in place makes it faster and easier to design new pages and features for your website, as all of the design elements have already been established.
3. Cost-effective: Developing a design system up front can save time and money in the long run by reducing the need for redesigns and rework.
4. Improved User Experience: With a consistent and well-designed interface, users will have an easier time navigating and using your website, which can lead to increased engagement and conversions.
5. Branding: Design system helps to create a consistent visual language for your brand which can be used across different mediums and touchpoints
6. Speed of development: With a design system in place, developers can quickly implement new features and pages without having to worry about design details.
7. Scalability: A design system allows for easy scalability as your company and website grows, making it easy to add new features and pages without compromising consistency.
8. Easier collaboration: With a clear and consistent design system in place, it becomes easier for different teams and individuals to work together on a project without confusion.

What tools can I use to create a design system for my website?

There are several tools that you can use to create a design system for your website, including:

1. Sketch: Sketch is a popular design tool that allows you to create wireframes, prototypes, and design elements for your website. It has a wide range of plugins and integrations that can be used to create a design system.
2. Adobe XD: Adobe XD is another design tool that allows you to create wireframes, prototypes, and design elements for your website. Like Sketch, it also has a wide range of plugins and integrations that can be used to create a design system.
3. Figma: Figma is a web-based design tool that allows you to collaborate with your team in real-time. It has a wide range of design elements and components that can be used to create a design system.
4. InVision Studio: InVision Studio is a powerful design tool that allows you to create interactive wireframes, prototypes, and design elements for your website. It has a wide range of design elements and components that can be used to create a design system.
5. Adobe Illustrator: Adobe Illustrator is a vector-based design tool that allows you to create graphics, logos, and other design elements for your website. It can be used to create a design system by creating elements like icons, patterns and other design assets that can be reused across the website.
6. Abstract: Abstract is a version control tool that allows you to keep track of design changes made to your design system. It makes it easy for teams to collaborate and keeps everyone on the same page.

It is worth noting that the design system can be created and maintained manually with code or with a combination of tools and documentation. The choice of the tools depends on the team’s workflow, budget and the size of the project.

Examples of good design systems online

Here are a few examples of well-designed design systems that you can find online:

1. Material Design by Google: Google’s Material Design system is a comprehensive design language that provides guidelines for creating visually appealing and easy-to-use interfaces. The system is used across a wide range of Google products, including Android, Google Drive, and Gmail.
2. iOS Human Interface Guidelines by Apple: The iOS Human Interface Guidelines provide detailed recommendations for designing apps for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The guidelines cover everything from layout and typography to color and iconography.
3. Carbon Design System by IBM: The Carbon Design System is a set of design guidelines, components, and resources for creating consistent, user-friendly interfaces. The system is used across a wide range of IBM products and services.
4. Atlassian Design System: The Atlassian Design System is a set of design guidelines, components, and resources for creating consistent, user-friendly interfaces. The system is used across a wide range of Atlassian products and services.
5. Salesforce Lightning Design System: Salesforce Lightning Design System provides a set of design guidelines, components, and resources for creating consistent and accessible user interface for Salesforce’s platform.
6. Airbnb Design System: Airbnb’s design system is a set of guidelines, components, and resources for creating consistent, user-friendly interfaces. The system is used across a wide range of Airbnb products and services.
7. Shopify Polaris Design System: Shopify’s Polaris design system is a set of guidelines, components and resources that are used across all of Shopify’s products and services. The system focuses on creating a consistent, user-friendly interface for merchants, partners, and developers.

These design systems are examples of how big companies approach the design system, they are well-crafted and highly detailed, but it is worth noting that a design system doesn’t have to be as complex as these examples to be successful. The design system should match the needs of the company and its product.

Where should a design system live once it is complete?

Once a design system is complete, it should live in a central location that is easily accessible to all members of the team. This can include:

1. A dedicated website: A website dedicated to the design system can be an effective way to share information and resources with the team. This website can include guidelines, documentation, and code snippets for each design element.
2. A shared drive: A shared drive such as Google Drive, Dropbox or a similar platform can be used to store the design system files and make them easily accessible to the team. This can include design files, documentation, and other resources.
3. A version control system: Using a version control system such as Git or SVN can be a good way to keep track of changes made to the design system over time. This can make it easier to roll back to previous versions if needed.
4. A design tool: Some design tools such as Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD and Abstract have the ability to store and share design system elements, this can make it easier for designers to access the design system while they work.
5. Codebase: Some design systems are implemented directly into the codebase, this is especially the case for web development projects. By having the design system integrated into the codebase, it ensures that the design system is always kept up-to-date and it makes it easy for developers to implement the design system.

Having a single, centralised location for the design system can make it easier for the team to access and use the resources, it also makes it easier to update and maintain the design system over time. It’s important to choose the location that fits the team’s workflow, budget, and the size of the project.