We have built design systems for companies of every size. The technical part — building the components — is the easy part. Getting engineers and designers to actually use the system consistently? That is the hard part.
Start With the Worst Offenders
Instead of starting fresh, audit what already exists. Find the three or four components that are the most inconsistently implemented (for most clients it is buttons, form inputs, and modals) and standardise those first. Quick wins build momentum.
Components Are Not Enough
A component library without usage documentation is a graveyard of well-intentioned code. Every component needs: a usage example, a do/don’t guide, an accessibility note, and a prop reference. We use Storybook for this and it has become non-negotiable on every engagement.
The Token Layer Is Everything
Design tokens (colours, spacing, typography scales) are the foundation. If your components hard-code hex values, you will never have true consistency. Every value should reference a token, and tokens should be the single source of truth for both Figma and code.
Adoption Tactics That Actually Work
The best adoption mechanism is making the design system faster than rolling your own. When teams see they can build a full form in 20 minutes instead of 2 hours, they stop reinventing the wheel. Pair this with a Slack channel for questions (not a ticket queue — instant answers matter) and usage metrics to celebrate adoption milestones.
