A design system is like a living organism. Build it too rigid, and it breaks under pressure. Build it too loose, and chaos ensues. After creating systems for companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500s, here's what we've learned.

Start With Principles, Not Components

The most common mistake we see is jumping straight into component design. Instead, start by establishing the principles that will guide decisions when the system doesn't have an answer.

Good principles are specific enough to be useful but flexible enough to allow creativity. "Use consistent spacing" is too vague. "Maintain an 8px spacing grid with exceptions allowed for optical adjustments" is actionable.

Design for the Edges

Your system will be judged not by how it handles common cases, but by how gracefully it handles edge cases. Consider:

  • What happens when text is unexpectedly long?
  • How do components behave at extreme viewport sizes?
  • What if a user has high contrast mode enabled?
  • How does the system accommodate content in different languages?

Documentation Is the Product

A design system without good documentation is just a component library. The documentation is what transforms raw materials into a usable tool.

We recommend documenting not just the "what" but the "why." When people understand the reasoning behind decisions, they make better choices when the documentation doesn't cover their exact situation.

Plan for Evolution

The best design systems have built-in processes for change. This includes clear governance (who can propose changes?), versioning strategies, and deprecation policies.

Measure Adoption, Not Completeness

A 100-component system used by 10% of teams is less valuable than a 20-component system used by everyone. Focus on adoption metrics: How many teams are using the system? How often are they reaching for external solutions?

The Investment Pays Off

Design systems require significant upfront investment, but the returns compound over time. Teams ship faster, products are more consistent, and onboarding new designers becomes dramatically easier.