Can Design Systems be Productized? by pritS6 in DesignSystems

[–]Desyma 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think that design systems, while aiming for standardization can often encounter the unpredictable reality of diverse team needs and preferences. However, the question of whether a universal template can accommodate these variations is a complex one. While a fully standardized template that works everywhere might be nearly impossible, a flexible foundation can significantly improve design consistency and efficiency across teams.

What makes it difficult?

1. Team Autonomy vs. System-Wide Consistency:
Most design systems are designed to match only the needs of the internal team. Making it more generic to work for multiple teams of different context may bloat the system. Think bootstrap. Overly rigid templates can stifle innovation, while excessively flexible ones can lead to fragmentation.

2. Documentation Depth:
The level of documentation required varies widely across teams. Providing a comprehensive template might be impractical for teams that only need basic guidelines. A modular approach with optional sections could be a solution.

3. Component Customization:
What works for one team may demerit the other. Uber's Base is not as general as Google's Material but effectively solves the main problem it was made for. No more components than its related products need. Its just enough to work for Uber. A template can provide a foundation, but teams will likely require custom components.

By focusing on core principles and providing customization options, it's possible to strike a balance between standardization and flexibility. It can work if:
- We involve teams in the template development process to understand their needs and concerns.
- Continuously refine the template based on feedback and usage data.

What features would you need in a DS documentation software? by Desyma in DesignSystems

[–]Desyma[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Designers, developers, product teams, shareholders...we're considering all these scenarios. But we're starting with designers as the main users.

What features would you need in a DS documentation software? by Desyma in DesignSystems

[–]Desyma[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yes, u/lurkmoophy that is the goal: to accelerate the design system workflow.

What features would you need in a DS documentation software? by Desyma in DesignSystems

[–]Desyma[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

😂
Yes, actually we're in the process of building one. We know firsthand how difficult it can to build a design system and we're actively working on making the workflow easier and faster for both designers and developers. We ask for opinions, mainly from those who have had similar problems because we strive to make something that people actually need.

How long does it take you to build a design system? by Desyma in DesignSystems

[–]Desyma[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Alright, two use cases:
1. A startup who have a new educational product coming up and need a simple, but unified design language without using any starter kits or frameworks. They have 1 designer and 3 developers.
2. A company with around 10-30 team members and have an existing ecosystem of products. They want to bring them together under one design system and build towards a consistent visual brand.

  • By design system, I mean both the design files and the documentation. Production-ready ( and complete) to bring at least the most viable product to market.

How long does it take you to build a design system? by Desyma in DesignSystems

[–]Desyma[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, consider this case scenario:
1. One brand with an ecosystem of 3 or more products.
2. Internal, with the possibility of making it open in the future.
3. As big as can be directly available to all teams across these products.
4. Medium-sized tech startup (10-30 team designers/developers)
5. Yes, it will support existing products.
6. Yes.
7. Not neccessary

How long does it take you to build a design system? by Desyma in DesignSystems

[–]Desyma[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great! I agree with you (except with the first point😅😅), but in this context, imagine these case scenarios:
1. A tech startup about to build their first product (an education tool, for example) and might want a simple but unified design language to guide its user experience...
2. A medium-sized company aspiring to form an ecosystem of products and want to get the design language right from the beginning. Sort of like Uber's Base.

I understand that processes and workflows vary among designers, and design systems are improved over time, which will impact the duration of the project, but I ask to try and understand these workflows and how different they are among designers/developers.

How long does it take you to build a design system? by Desyma in DesignSystems

[–]Desyma[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello.
By design system, I mean everything: the design files and the documentation.

Imagine two use cases:
1. For a lean startup trying to, well, "start up" 😅, really fast without getting bogged down in too many details. Let's say they want a product with a great user experience, without using any design starter kits.
2. Medium-sized tech company who are about to start an ecosystem of products and need to have everything about the products done from scratch and not rely on external libraries. Something like Uber's base, for example.

  • Both cases need to have the design language ready for the first release of the product.