Why is Design Systems so Important?

Design systems have become quite popular in the last couple of years, and from big companies like Shopify to small local businesses, everyone has started to pay attention to it. But when it comes to the implementation of UX design systems, a lot of junior designers struggle to understand it and have a hard time figuring out how a design system can improve the workflows for designers.

For a lot of young designers, it may seem like that they are just some hyped up design guides, but there is more to that. In this article, I have mentioned a few points that will help you understand the importance of design systems. Adobe XD recommends “Setting clear standards for product teams and enforcing them via a strong vision, communication, documentation, and ongoing encouragement to help create a consistent experience among a range of products.” Here are some reasons why it is so important.

Solves Design Debt

Design debts refer to the fact that no matter how good your design is, it eventually gets outdated with the introduction of new features and technology. At organizational scale design debt can be a big problem, and that is where design systems come in handy. Design systems are built on a solitary, generalized, or centralized team model and are updated regularly. This allows them to change with the product that they were built to support.

Removes Inconsistencies

Another major problem with the design can be inconsistencies, and design systems help you avoid that. Design systems typically begin with the examination of all the visual elements of the product, which can prove quite useful. It allows you to identify the inconsistencies in your design and work on them. During the process, you can also single out the elements that are most important to your design and are commonly used. And it does not stop there, it gives you a bigger picture of the entire visual system and spots its weakness allowing the business to create more streamlined products.

Makes the Design Process More Efficient

The purpose of a good design is to serve the user. In this case, your user is not just the people interested in your product and looking to purchase it, but it is also the people in your organization. Design systems bring people together in an organization by unifying the processes or creating bridges between teams. When you build a design with which everyone agrees, it speeds up the process automatically. It brings all the teams and departments on the same page, which allows them to move faster and update products without any delays.

Provide Customers with a Smooth Experience

When all your teams are on the same page, they are creating a consistent experience for your customers. You don’t want to put any cognitive burden on your customers when they move from the mobile app to the web version. Imagine you are using a task scheduler to assign work to your team on your laptop and when you view it on your phone a few minutes later you have a totally different interface and setting that will just confuse you and make you frustrated. Design systems allow you to speak a consistent language and provide a much better experience to your users.

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