Why It Matters
A design system is more than a component library—it's a living product that serves other products. It includes UI components, design tokens, documentation, usage guidelines, accessibility standards, and governance processes. Successful design systems accelerate development, ensure consistency, and reduce design debt.
Examples
1
IBM's Carbon Design System includes components, icons, patterns, data visualization guidelines, and accessibility requirements.
2
A startup's design system might start simple: core components, color tokens, and spacing scale, growing as the product matures.
3
Design systems serve multiple platforms: web, iOS, Android, each with platform-specific implementations of the same components.
Related Terms
Component Library
A collection of reusable UI components organized in a Figma library file, available for use across multiple design files and team projects.
Design Tokens
Named, platform-agnostic values that store design decisions like colors, spacing, typography, and shadows, enabling consistent styling across design tools and code.
Style Guide
Documentation that defines the visual language of a product, including color palettes, typography scales, spacing systems, and usage guidelines.
Design Governance
The policies, processes, and controls that ensure design system standards are maintained, contributions are reviewed, and quality is preserved at scale.
Design Ops
The practice of optimizing design team operations through processes, tools, and systems that enable designers to work more efficiently and effectively.
Explore More Design Terms
Browse our complete glossary of Figma and design systems terminology.