April 7, 2018

Easy Easter baking recipes that will still wow everyone

Many organizations have what they consider to be a design system, but these collections typically amount to no more than a group of elements and code snippets. While a style guide or pattern library can be a starting point for a design system, they are not the only components.

Let’s dig into the fundamentals of design systems, plan how you can build and implement one in your organization, and explore several examples of organizations that are using design systems to drive success.

“ More simply put, the difference is in the standards and documentation that accompanies the assets. With a guide on why and how to use them, design components because easier to use and clearer to discern.”

I’ve been involved in no fewer than three different initiatives to create a design system in my career. 10 years ago, we simply called them pattern libraries. A few years ago, Atomic Design entered the scene and provided a more comprehensive grammar around design systems. Once Google unveiled Material Design in 2014, the concept of design systems had finally matured.

Marco Suarez, one of our product designers here at InVision, adds that “understanding not only the what, but the why, behind the design of a system is critical to creating an exceptional user experience. Defining and adhering to standards is how we create that understanding.”

More simply put, the difference is in the standards and documentation that accompanies the assets. With a guide on why and how to use them, design components because easier to use and clearer to discern.