Design system

Definition
A set of reusable components, tokens, and guidelines for consistent UI.
Advanced
Includes governance, versioning, accessibility rules, and code parity with design. Supports multi-brand or multi-platform use and reduces design and engineering effort.
Why it matters
Improves speed, quality, and consistency across teams.
Use cases
- Enterprise redesign
- Multi-brand rollout
- New product lines sharing one codebase
Metrics
- Component reuse rate
- Time saved per release
- Accessibility defects per sprint
Issues
- Drift between design files and code
- No ownership or change process
Example
A tokenised library in Figma mapped to a React component package with versioned releases and changelogs.