SlideShare a Scribd company logo
“
John Maeda
Design in Tech Report
‘Scale’ a company’s design
function through better
managing/leading of
designers and shareable
design systems
Accounting for Quantity and Scalability
Amy Vainieri & Courtney Clark
UX at Scale Virtual Summit | October 5, 2017
#DesignSystems
Design Systems
Hello.
Amy
@avainie
Courtney
@circlish
Who are you?
Have you used

a design system?
Who loves

a good design
system?
Who is…
still not
sure?
How do you
know if you need
a design system?
There are 20+ button styles
Many products.
Many screens.
handoff or sharing
You have a lot of project
So…what is a

design system?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
ImagesviaTacoBell
+ More variation!
8 ingredients
=
50+ menu options!
Case Study
A design system in the wild.
AfterBefore
Entire Project = 8 months
Discovery = 2 months
UX & Design = 3-4 months
Front & Back Dev = 3-4 months
Project Manager (x2)
UX Designer (x2)
Content Strategist
Visual Designer
Back-End Developer (x5+)
Front-End Developer (x2+)
Project
Team
Product Owners (x2)
Executive Director
Communications Staff (x10)
Developers (x2)
Analyst
Content Authors (x200!)
Located in 60 countries
across 15 programs
Client
UXPin
Photoshop
InVision
Gather Content
Zoom
Pattern Lab
Wagtail
Tools
Discovery
Wireframes
Digital design
system…
What are our ingredients?
Elements
Building Blocks
Pages
Basics
Basics
Elements
Building Blocks
Pages
Basics
Elements
Elements
Building Blocks
Pages
Basics
Building Blocks
Building Blocks
Elements
Building Blocks
Pages
Basics
Pages
Average Hero
Stat Boxes
Volunteer Openings

Teasers
Quote (with button)
Story Teasers
Image Gallery
Support Teasers
Share Bar
Design systems: accounting for quality and scalability
#DesignSystems Lesson
Power Jams
Wins
Design systems: accounting for quality and scalability
#DesignSystems Lesson
Power Jams
Wins Design Review
Content Prep
Design Inventory
Preparation
Design systems: accounting for quality and scalability
#DesignSystems Lesson
Power Jams
Wins Design Review
Content Prep
Design Inventory
Preparation
Luck
#DesignSystems Lesson
Start earlier
Next
Time Outline rules
Choose a home
After Launch
The story continues…
Extending

the system
1. What already exists?
2. What is the significance?
3. How will it be used again

in the future?
Ask:
Guard the
system, or it will
unravel quickly.
#DesignSystems Lesson
It was vital to understand
the genesis of the design
system. After that, it was
easy peasy to maintain

and extend the system.
“
Sarah Coles
Designer Extraordinaire
Why use

a design
system?
Scalability
Consistency
Efficiency

& Teamwork
Consistency
Efficiency & Teamwork
Scalability
Consistency
Efficiency & Teamwork
Scalability
Consistency
Efficiency & Teamwork
Scalability
This design system has
made my life rainbows
and unicorns.
“Dan Mouyard
Front-End Developer Extraordinaire
Consistency
Efficiency & Teamwork
Scalability
#DesignSystems Lesson
Scalability
Benefits Consistency
Efficiency

& Teamwork
How do you get
buy in?
“
John Maeda
Design in Tech Report
‘Scale’ a company’s design
function through better
managing/leading of
designers and shareable
design systems
Time
Developing & Refining System Implementing System
Money
Design System
Traditional Process
Frame it around investment.
Project Management
DevelopmentUser Experience
Design

System
Business Development
GovernanceDesign & Branding
What about
clients?
Teach your clients.
Share your approach.
#DesignSystems Lesson
Tips and Tricks
Be consistent!
WIN!
Be organized!
WIN!
Communicate!
WIN!
Code!
WIN!
Decide on the afterlife!
WIN!
You have bigger
fish to fry.
#DesignSystems Lesson
Like fun
404 pages
and pre-
loaders.
Who wouldn’t want
more delight?
Thank you.
Rollout
Handoff
Educate / Buy-in
Keep it Fresh
Questions
we’re still
working on
Ask us anything.
avainieri@taoti.com

@avainie
cclark@forumone.com

@circlish
#DesignSystems

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Design systems: accounting for quality and scalability