Nilesh Lokhande

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What is a Design System in UI/UX? Why It Matters & How to Use It

🎯 What is a Design System?

A design system is a collection of reusable components, guidelines, and standards that help teams build consistent digital products efficiently.

It usually includes:

UI components (buttons, inputs, cards, modals, etc.)
Design tokens (colors, spacing, typography)
Rules and usage guidelines (when/how to use each component)
Documentation (Figma files + dev code + UX patterns)

🧠 Why Use a Design System?

✅ Consistency – Same look & behavior across screens and teams
⚡ Efficiency – Save time by reusing components
👥 Collaboration – Bridges the gap between designers and developers
📈 Scalability – Easier to grow a product with clear standards
🛠️ Fewer bugs – Developers use tested components

🧰 Key Elements of a Design System

Color Palette – Primary, secondary, background, error, etc.
Typography – Font families, sizes, weights, line spacing
Spacing System – 4pt or 8pt scale for margin/padding
UI Components – Buttons, checkboxes, tabs, etc.
Icon Library – Consistent visual style for icons
Grids & Layouts – Column grids, breakpoints for responsiveness
Tokens – Abstract values like $primary-color, $font-size-base

🧪 Examples of Popular Design Systems

Material Design by Google – https://m3.material.io
Carbon by IBM – https://carbondesignsystem.com
Polaris by Shopify – https://polaris.shopify.com
Lightning by Salesforce – https://www.lightningdesignsystem.com
Atlassian Design – https://atlassian.design

🔧 Tools to Build or Use Design Systems

Figma – Build & maintain components + libraries
ZeroHeight – Create documentation sites
Storybook – For developers to preview coded components
Notion – Document rules & usage with links to Figma
Supernova / Specify – Sync design tokens to code

👶 How to Start as a Beginner

Create a mini system in Figma – buttons, colors, text styles
Use Figma components instead of duplicate frames
Name layers and components logically
Document usage in a Notion page or Figma README
Study existing design systems (like Material or Polaris)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

No documentation or naming rules
Inconsistent spacing & typography
Too many variations of the same component
No component nesting (not using auto layout in Figma)

🧭 Final Thoughts

A design system isn’t just about design—it’s about teamwork, consistency, and scaling your product smoothly.

As a UI/UX beginner, building even a basic system will teach you valuable lessons in structure, thinking in components, and cross-functional collaboration.

Up next: “Top UI/UX Case Studies Every Beginner Should Read and Learn From.”

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7 Must-Read UI/UX Case Studies for Beginners (and What You’ll Learn from Them)Next

Nilesh Lokhande

Table of Contents

Top AI Chat Apps for Emotional or Intimate Conversations in 2025

Top 10 Inspiring Modern UI UX Design Trends for a Stunning 2025

The Importance of Responsive Design in UI/UX

The Importance of User Testing in UI/UX Design

Essential UI/UX Design Tools: Choosing the Right Tool for the Job

The Role of Visual Design in UI/UX: Crafting Aesthetic and Functional Interfaces

User Testing in UI/UX Design: Ensuring Usability and Success

Prototyping in UI/UX Design: Turning Ideas Into Interactive Experiences

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