Design Systems WTF

In this episode, we’re diving into the buzzworthy announcements and new feature releases that have the design community talking. We’ll share our opinions and insights on how these changes will impact design systems and workflows. Whether you missed the event or want a fresh perspective, tune in to catch up on all the highlights and WTF moments from Config!

We tackle the fundamental question: “How do you prove the value of design systems?” What kind of metrics work? Why does the math seem so fuzzy? Are there any valid measurements? Based on our experiences and what we’ve seen with other teams, we share our thoughts and hot takes when it comes to advocating and validating your design system efforts.

We navigate the challenges and uncertainties that arise when a design system team undergoes downsizing or restructuring. How do the design system team and teams who use the design system cope in this situation? We explore strategies for resilience, collaboration, and innovation in the face of adversity and discover how to thrive amidst organizational changes.

In this episode, we answer some interesting design system questions from the Internet. With Luke away, Dave, our Developer Advocate, will joins Michelle. Sharing insights from a developer and designer perspective, respectively. Will Dave and Michelle see eye to eye or will we agree to disagree?

Figma is currently dominating the design landscape and with good reason. They’ve taken what we’ve done with product and UX design and allowed us to do so much more than we used to be able to. With the release and continued improvement of Dev Mode, they’re hoovering up more use cases and raising the question: are we happy with a design tool being the source of truth for all product teams?

Today we ask, “Is using a pre-built frontend library realistic?” We look into the pros and cons of leveraging frontend libraries such as MUI, Tailwind, or Ant Design for your design system. Are these libraries a shortcut to success, or do they come with hidden complexities and limitations? Tune in as we dissect the practicality, scalability, and long-term implications of adopting these pre-built solutions for your product.

Design systems should reflect what’s currently in your product, but it’s tempting to future-proof them. After all, getting the system up and running was a lot of work, so what’s the harm in adding a few new things? Future us will thank our past selves, right?

We examine that critical phase in the life of a design system: moving beyond the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Launching an MVP is just the beginning, but what comes next? Michelle and Luke discuss strategies for advocating for more resources, ensuring your work is recognized and adequately resourced, and not just seen as a “free” addition from your team. Drawing from our own experiences and those of other teams, we share practical advice on selling your design system’s ongoing value to stakeholders. 

We tackle a question that often gets overlooked in the world of design systems: Is there room for fun and delight? Sure, components are the workhorses of design systems, known for their functionality and consistency, but does that mean they have to be dull? We’ll explore the possibilities of infusing a bit of charm and personality into your design system. Listen in as we discuss examples of some of the more fun design systems in action, the challenges of maintaining usability while injecting creativity, and how to strike the right balance.

We dive into the ambitious idea proposed by Brad Frost: creating a global design system for everyone to use. Imagine a world where companies don’t reinvent the wheel with every component they create, but instead, contribute to and utilize a shared set of resources. We tackle the big questions: Where do we start in building such a universal system? How do we address hesitations and resistance in the community? What are the potential risks and unseen challenges?