By creating a unified language and a consistent visual style, design systems streamline the creation process, foster collaboration between designers and developers, and ensure brand consistency at scale. They are living documents, evolving with the brand and its products to meet the ever-changing needs of users.

Key Takeaways

  • Consistency is Key: A design system’s primary role is to ensure a consistent user experience. By providing a single source of truth for design elements and components, it eliminates inconsistencies that can confuse users and dilute brand identity.
  • Efficiency and Speed: With a library of reusable components and clear guidelines, teams can build and iterate on products much faster. This accelerates the development lifecycle and allows for more rapid innovation.
  • Improved Collaboration: Design systems create a shared language between designers, developers, product managers, and other stakeholders. This common understanding reduces friction, minimizes miscommunication, and fosters a more collaborative and efficient workflow.
  • Scalability: As a company grows and its product offerings expand, maintaining a cohesive experience becomes increasingly challenging. A design system provides the scalable framework necessary to manage this complexity and ensure that all products, new and old, feel like part of the same family.
  • Focus on User Experience: By handling the foundational design elements, a design system frees up designers and developers to focus on higher-level challenges, such as solving complex user problems and creating more meaningful interactions.
  • Brand Integrity: A design system is the visual and interactive embodiment of a brand. It ensures that every touchpoint with the user reinforces the brand’s values, personality, and promise, building trust and recognition over time.

What is a Design System?

Before we dive into the examples, let’s establish a clear understanding of what a design system is. It’s more than just a style guide or a UI kit. While those are components of a design system, a true system is much more holistic. It encompasses:

  • Design Principles: The foundational philosophy that guides the design process. These are high-level guidelines that help teams make consistent decisions.
  • Brand Identity & Style Guide: This includes the logo, color palette, typography, iconography, and other visual elements that define the brand’s look and feel.
  • Component Library: A collection of reusable UI components, such as buttons, forms, navigation menus, and cards. These are the building blocks of the user interface.
  • Pattern Library: A set of best practices and solutions for common design problems. This could include patterns for navigation, data entry, or user feedback.
  • Content Guidelines: Rules and recommendations for writing, tone of voice, and messaging.
  • Governance and Maintenance: A plan for how the design system will be managed, updated, and evolved over time.

As web creation expert Itamar Haim states, “A design system isn’t a project with an end date. It’s a product in itself, serving the rest of the company’s products. It requires ongoing investment, maintenance, and a dedicated team to ensure it remains relevant and effective.”

Now, let’s explore how some of the world’s leading brands have implemented their own design systems to create exceptional user experiences.

15 Examples of World-Class Design Systems

1. Google’s Material Design

Perhaps the most well-known design system, Material Design is Google’s comprehensive guide for visual, motion, and interaction design across all of their platforms and devices.

What Makes It Stand Out:

  • Metaphorical Foundation: Material Design is based on the metaphor of “material” as a smart paper. This gives the system a tactile and intuitive feel, with elements that have depth, shadow, and realistic motion.
  • Comprehensive Documentation: The Material Design website is a masterclass in documentation. It’s incredibly detailed, with clear guidelines, examples, and do’s and don’ts for every component and pattern.
  • Adaptability: Material Design is built to be flexible and adaptable. It provides a strong foundation but also encourages customization to fit different brand identities.
  • Focus on Accessibility: Google has put a strong emphasis on accessibility, with built-in features and guidelines to help creators build products that are usable by everyone.

Material Design has become a go-to resource for designers and developers around the world, and its influence can be seen in countless apps and websites.

2. Atlassian Design System

Atlassian, the company behind popular productivity tools like Jira and Trello, has a design system that is focused on helping teams create simple, intuitive, and beautiful products.

What Makes It Stand Out:

  • Clear Principles: The Atlassian Design System is built on a foundation of clear and concise design principles, such as “Bold, optimistic, and practical.” These principles guide every design decision.
  • Brand and Product Harmony: The system does an excellent job of balancing the overarching Atlassian brand with the unique identities of its individual products.
  • Comprehensive Resources: Atlassian provides a wealth of resources, including a component library, brand guidelines, and a content style guide.
  • Focus on Collaboration: Given that Atlassian’s products are all about teamwork, it’s no surprise that their design system is built to foster collaboration between designers and developers.

The Atlassian Design System is a great example of how a company with a diverse product portfolio can create a cohesive and consistent user experience.

3. Shopify’s Polaris

Shopify’s design system, Polaris, is designed to help their partners and developers build apps and integrations that feel seamless and native to the Shopify platform.

What Makes It Stand Out:

  • Partner-Focused: Polaris is specifically tailored to the needs of Shopify’s developer community. It provides all the tools and guidance necessary to create high-quality apps that enhance the Shopify experience.
  • Content-First Approach: Polaris places a strong emphasis on content, with detailed guidelines on tone of voice, grammar, and terminology. This ensures that all communication within the Shopify ecosystem is clear, concise, and helpful.
  • React Components: Polaris provides a library of React components, which makes it easy for developers to build user interfaces that are consistent with the rest of the Shopify platform.
  • Accessibility by Default: Shopify has made accessibility a core part of Polaris, with built-in features and guidelines to ensure that all apps are usable by people with disabilities.

Polaris is a testament to Shopify’s commitment to its partner ecosystem and a great example of a design system that is tailored to a specific audience.

4. IBM’s Carbon Design System

IBM’s Carbon Design System is a comprehensive system for creating products and digital experiences that are distinctly IBM.

What Makes It Stand Out:

  • Built on a Legacy: The Carbon Design System is rooted in IBM’s long history of design excellence. It’s a modern interpretation of the company’s classic design principles.
  • Developer-Friendly: Carbon is designed to be as useful for developers as it is for designers. It provides reusable code, clear documentation, and a variety of tools to streamline the development process.
  • Data Visualization: As a company that deals with a lot of complex data, IBM has put a strong emphasis on data visualization in their design system. Carbon provides a set of guidelines and components for creating clear and effective charts and graphs.
  • Open Source: The Carbon Design System is open source, which means that anyone can use it and contribute to its development. This has helped to foster a strong community around the system.

Carbon is a powerful and flexible design system that is well-suited for creating complex enterprise applications.

5. Mailchimp’s Design System

Mailchimp’s design system is a great example of how to create a system that is not only functional but also full of personality.

What Makes It Stand Out:

  • Distinctive Brand Voice: Mailchimp is known for its friendly and approachable brand voice, and this is reflected in their design system. The system is full of personality, with a playful tone and a unique visual style.
  • Focus on Simplicity: Mailchimp’s products are designed to be easy to use, and their design system reflects this. The system is clean, simple, and intuitive.
  • Pattern-Based Approach: Mailchimp’s design system is organized around a set of patterns, which are solutions to common design problems. This makes it easy for teams to create consistent and effective user experiences.
  • Living Document: Mailchimp treats their design system as a living document, constantly updating and evolving it based on user feedback and changing needs.

Mailchimp’s design system is a great reminder that a design system doesn’t have to be rigid and corporate. It can be a reflection of a brand’s unique personality.

6. Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines

Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) are the foundation for the design of all Apple products, from the iPhone to the Mac.

What Makes It Stand Out:

  • Platform-Specific Guidance: The HIG provides detailed guidance for designing for each of Apple’s platforms, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.
  • Focus on Principles: The HIG is built on a set of core principles, such as clarity, deference, and depth. These principles guide every aspect of the design process.
  • Emphasis on User Experience: Apple is known for its focus on user experience, and the HIG reflects this. The guidelines are all about creating intuitive, engaging, and delightful experiences for users.
  • Authority and Influence: The HIG is one of the most influential design documents in the world. It has set the standard for user interface design for decades.

For anyone designing for Apple’s platforms, the Human Interface Guidelines are an essential resource.

7. Airbnb’s Design Language System (DLS)

Airbnb’s Design Language System (DLS) is a comprehensive system that allows the company to create a cohesive experience across all of its platforms.

What Makes It Stand Out:

  • System of Systems: The DLS is actually a “system of systems,” with different parts that work together to create a unified whole. This includes a component library, a style guide, and a set of design principles.
  • Cross-Platform Consistency: The DLS is designed to create a consistent experience across all of Airbnb’s platforms, including web, iOS, and Android.
  • Focus on Storytelling: Airbnb is a company that is all about storytelling, and this is reflected in their design system. The system is designed to help teams create experiences that are not only functional but also emotionally resonant.
  • Internal Tooling: Airbnb has invested heavily in internal tooling to support their design system. This includes a design tool that allows designers to work with real components and data.

Airbnb’s DLS is a powerful example of how a large company can create a cohesive and consistent user experience at scale.

8. Uber’s Base Web

Uber’s design system, Base Web, is an open-source system for building web applications.

What Makes It Stand Out:

  • Open Source and Community-Driven: Base Web is open source and has a strong community of contributors. This has helped to make it a robust and well-supported system.
  • Built with React: Base Web is built with React, which makes it a popular choice for developers who are already familiar with the framework.
  • Focus on Accessibility: Uber has made accessibility a priority with Base Web, with built-in features to help developers create accessible applications.
  • Theming and Customization: Base Web is highly customizable, with a powerful theming system that allows you to tailor the look and feel of your application to your brand.

Base Web is a great choice for teams that are looking for a flexible and powerful open-source design system.

9. Microsoft’s Fluent Design System

Microsoft’s Fluent Design System is the company’s latest design language and is used across all of their products, including Windows, Office, and Xbox.

What Makes It Stand Out:

  • Sensory and Intuitive: Fluent is designed to be a more natural and intuitive design language. It uses light, depth, motion, material, and scale to create experiences that are both beautiful and easy to use.
  • Cross-Device and Platform: Fluent is designed to work across a wide range of devices and platforms, from small screens to large displays.
  • Modern and Evolving: Fluent is a modern design system that is constantly evolving. Microsoft is committed to keeping it up-to-date with the latest design trends and technologies.
  • Open and Collaborative: Microsoft has taken an open and collaborative approach to the development of Fluent, with a focus on working with the design and developer community.

Fluent is a bold and ambitious design system that is shaping the future of Microsoft’s products.

10. Trello’s Nachos

Trello’s design system, Nachos, is a fun and approachable system that reflects the company’s brand personality.

What Makes It Stand Out:

  • Playful and Personable: Nachos is a great example of a design system that is full of personality. It has a playful tone and a unique visual style that is distinctly Trello.
  • Component-Based: Nachos is a component-based system, with a library of reusable components that can be used to build user interfaces.
  • Living Style Guide: Trello treats Nachos as a living style guide, constantly updating and evolving it as the product changes.
  • Publicly Available: Nachos is publicly available, which means that anyone can use it as inspiration for their own design system.

Nachos is a great reminder that a design system can be both functional and fun.

11. GitHub’s Primer

GitHub’s design system, Primer, is a system that is designed to be simple, consistent, and easy to use.

What Makes It Stand Out:

  • Utility-First CSS: Primer is built on a foundation of utility-first CSS, which makes it easy to create consistent and scalable user interfaces.
  • Systematic and Pragmatic: Primer is a very systematic and pragmatic design system. It’s not flashy, but it’s incredibly effective.
  • Focus on Accessibility: GitHub has made accessibility a priority with Primer, with a focus on creating a system that is usable by everyone.
  • Open Source: Primer is open source, which means that it has a strong community of contributors and is constantly being improved.

Primer is a great choice for teams that are looking for a simple and effective design system.

12. Salesforce’s Lightning Design System

Salesforce’s Lightning Design System is a comprehensive system for building applications on the Salesforce platform.

What Makes It Stand Out:

  • Platform-Specific: The Lightning Design System is specifically designed for the Salesforce platform. It provides all the tools and guidance necessary to create applications that look and feel like they are a native part of the Salesforce experience.
  • Focus on Enterprise: The Lightning Design System is designed for the needs of enterprise users. It’s robust, scalable, and secure.
  • Blueprint for Developers: The Lightning Design System is more than just a style guide. It’s a blueprint for developers, with detailed documentation and code examples for every component.
  • Constantly Evolving: Salesforce is committed to keeping the Lightning Design System up-to-date with the latest design trends and technologies.

The Lightning Design System is an essential resource for anyone building on the Salesforce platform.

13. Intuit’s Harmony Design System

Intuit’s Harmony Design System is a system for creating cohesive and consistent experiences across all of Intuit’s products, including TurboTax, QuickBooks, and Mint.

What Makes It Stand Out:

  • One Intuit Ecosystem: The Harmony Design System is a key part of Intuit’s strategy to create a single, unified ecosystem of products.
  • Customer-Centric: The Harmony Design System is built on a deep understanding of Intuit’s customers. It’s designed to create experiences that are simple, intuitive, and helpful.
  • Data-Driven: Intuit uses data and research to inform the development of the Harmony Design System. This ensures that the system is always evolving to meet the needs of users.
  • AI-Powered: Intuit is using AI to power parts of the Harmony Design System, which helps to create more personalized and intelligent experiences.

The Harmony Design System is a great example of how a large company can use a design system to create a more cohesive and customer-centric ecosystem of products.

14. Audi’s Design System

Audi’s design system is a great example of how a company can translate its brand identity from the physical world to the digital world.

What Makes It Stand Out:

  • Brand Consistency: Audi’s design system does an excellent job of maintaining brand consistency across all of its digital touchpoints. The system is clean, modern, and sophisticated, just like Audi’s cars.
  • Focus on User Experience: Audi has put a strong emphasis on user experience in their design system. The system is designed to create intuitive and engaging experiences for users.
  • Motion and Interaction: Audi’s design system includes detailed guidelines for motion and interaction design. This helps to create experiences that are not only beautiful but also dynamic and responsive.
  • Global and Local: Audi’s design system is designed to be both global and local. It provides a consistent foundation for all of Audi’s digital experiences, but it also allows for customization to meet the needs of different markets.

Audi’s design system is a masterclass in how to create a cohesive and compelling brand experience in the digital world.

15. Elementor’s Design System

Elementor, a leading website builder platform for WordPress, has its own internal design system that ensures consistency across its extensive interface and vast library of templates and kits.

What Makes It Stand Out:

  • Empowering Creators: Elementor’s design system is built to empower its users. It provides a flexible and intuitive set of tools that allow designers and developers of all skill levels to create beautiful and professional websites.
  • Global Styling: A core feature that is a direct output of their design system is the Global Styles functionality. This allows users to define their own mini design systems for each website they build, setting global colors, fonts, and styles that apply across the entire site. This ensures brand consistency with minimal effort.
  • Extensive Component Library: The Elementor editor is, in essence, a massive component library. Each widget, from buttons to forms to sliders, is a meticulously designed component that is part of a larger, cohesive system.
  • Scalability for a Platform: As Elementor has evolved from a page builder to a full-fledged website builder platform with hosting and marketing tools, its design system has scaled with it. The system ensures that new features and products, like the WooCommerce Builder, feel like a natural extension of the core product, providing a seamless user experience.

Elementor’s design system is a powerful example of how a design-centric tool uses its own principles to create a user-friendly and powerful platform for millions of web creators.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the main purpose of a design system?

The primary purpose of a design system is to create a single source of truth for design, which ensures consistency, improves efficiency, and fosters collaboration across teams. It allows organizations to build better products faster by providing a systematic approach to design and development.

2. How is a design system different from a style guide?

A style guide typically focuses on the visual aspects of a brand, such as colors, typography, and logo usage. A design system is much more comprehensive. It includes the style guide but also adds a library of reusable components, design patterns, content guidelines, and a framework for governance. It’s a living entity that serves as the foundation for product development.

3. Who uses a design system?

Design systems are used by a wide range of people within an organization, including:

  • Designers: To create consistent and cohesive user interfaces.
  • Developers: To build products with reusable, pre-approved components.
  • Product Managers: To ensure a consistent user experience across the product portfolio.
  • Marketers: To create on-brand marketing materials.
  • Content Strategists: To maintain a consistent tone of voice and messaging.

4. What are the key benefits of implementing a design system?

  • Increased Efficiency: Teams can build products faster with a library of reusable components.
  • Improved Consistency: A single source of truth ensures a cohesive user experience.
  • Better Collaboration: A shared language reduces friction between designers and developers.
  • Enhanced Scalability: It’s easier to maintain consistency as a company and its products grow.
  • Stronger Brand Identity: Every touchpoint with the user reinforces the brand.

5. How do you start building a design system?

Building a design system is a significant undertaking, but it can be started in small, manageable steps:

  1. Conduct an Audit: Review your existing products to identify inconsistencies and common patterns.
  2. Establish Design Principles: Define the core philosophy that will guide your design decisions.
  3. Create a Style Guide: Document your brand’s colors, typography, and other visual elements.
  4. Build a Component Library: Start with the most common UI elements, such as buttons and forms.
  5. Document Everything: Create clear and comprehensive documentation for every part of the system.
  6. Establish Governance: Decide how the system will be managed and updated over time.

6. How do you ensure a design system is adopted by the team?

Adoption is crucial for the success of a design system. Here are some tips:

  • Involve Everyone: Get input from designers, developers, and other stakeholders from the beginning.
  • Provide Clear Documentation: Make it easy for people to find what they need.
  • Offer Training and Support: Help people learn how to use the system effectively.
  • Lead by Example: Ensure that all new projects are built using the design system.
  • Show the Value: Demonstrate how the design system is making a positive impact on the company.

7. Should a design system be public or private?

This depends on the company and its goals.

  • Public: A public design system can be a great way to showcase a company’s design expertise, attract talent, and contribute to the community (e.g., Google’s Material Design).
  • Private: A private design system is more common and is used to maintain a competitive advantage and ensure brand consistency for internal teams.

8. How often should a design system be updated?

A design system should be treated as a living document that is constantly evolving. It should be updated regularly to reflect changes in the product, the brand, and the industry. A dedicated team should be responsible for managing and updating the system.

9. Can a small team or startup benefit from a design system?

Absolutely. While a design system may seem like a lot of work for a small team, it can actually save a lot of time and effort in the long run. By establishing a system early on, a startup can ensure that its products are consistent and scalable from the beginning. Even a simple style guide and a small component library can make a big difference. For those just starting out, using a platform with a built-in design system, like Elementor Pro, can provide a solid foundation without the need to build from scratch.

10. How does a design system relate to web accessibility?

A design system is a powerful tool for promoting web accessibility. By building accessibility into the core components of the system, you can ensure that all new products and features are accessible by default. This includes things like providing proper color contrast, using semantic HTML, and ensuring that all components are keyboard-navigable. A great way to enhance this is by integrating a tool like Ally Web Accessibility into your workflow.