Building Design Systems That Scale

A well-built design system can save countless hours and ensure consistency across products. But building one that scales requires careful planning.

Start with Principles

Before diving into components, establish design principles that guide decision-making. These become the foundation everything else is built upon.

Component Architecture

Design components for flexibility. Use composition over complexity. A button shouldn't need 50 variants—it should accept different children and props.

Documentation is Key

The best design system is worthless if no one knows how to use it. Invest in clear documentation with examples and guidelines.

Plan for Evolution

Design systems are living documents. Build in processes for updating and evolving the system without breaking existing implementations.