Systems
8 min read
A design system is a product, not a file
If nobody owns it, it rots. What we set up in the last month of every project so the system is still in use a year later.
A design system delivered as a file is out of date the week after launch. The systems that last are treated like a small product: they have an owner, a changelog and users who can ask for things.
The last month of every project
We spend the final month of a build handing the system over, not the design. That means documented components in code, a named person on the client side who owns them, and a monthly review booked for six months.
We measure success simply. A year later, are new screens being built from the system, or around it? For Northlane, 94% of new screens still use it.
Keep it small
The biggest risk is growth. Every component we add is one more thing to maintain, so we would rather ship forty good ones than a hundred and forty half-finished ones.