Design Systems
Building the bridge between design and development.
About the project
Multiple teams and vendors at a government agengy were designing and building products independently. Inconsistencies in UI, interaction patterns, and language created friction for users and inefficiency for teams. This work focused on creating a shared system that supported quality, reuse, and scalability across products.
Role
- Design System Lead
- Component Architect
- Design & Dev Liaison
Focus
- Design Systems
- Component Libraries
- Documentation
- Design-Dev Collaboration
Outcome
Design and development became faster and more consistent. Teams reused patterns instead of reinventing them. Users experienced clearer, more predictable interactions across products. The system scaled across teams, vendors, and platforms.
Project Overview
As products evolved, design decisions were being made repeatedly and inconsistently. Small differences added up to a fragmented experience and increased delivery cost. A design system was introduced to create alignment without constraining teams.
The Challenge
- Inconsistent UI and interaction patterns
- Repeated design and development effort
- Accessibility and compliance risks
- Limited shared ownership of design standards
Without a system, scale increased friction rather than efficiency.
The Approach
We defined a comprehensive set of design principles. We created modular components with clear usage guidelines. We documented everything with examples and code snippets. We trained teams on how to use the system.
Establish a foundation
We identified common patterns, components, and language across products.
The focus was clarity, not completeness.
Build for adoption
The system was designed to be practical and easy to use.
Adoption mattered more than perfection.
Scale intentionally
The system evolved alongside product needs.
The system grew as trust grew.
What Changed
- Improved consistency across products
- Lower cognitive load for users
- Fewer accessibility issues
- Broad adoption across teams and vendors
Reduced design and development time
The system became shared infrastructure.
Why This Matters
Design systems aren't simply about UI kits. They're about reducing friction, supporting teams, and enabling quality at scale.
This work turned design principles into operational reality.