How to Build a Scalable Design System
A design system defines colors, typography, and components used across a product. Building a design system ensures consistency, scalability, and faster development.
Design system builders help teams generate color tokens, UI components, and variants automatically. These systems can be shared between designers and developers.
This guide explains how design systems improve collaboration and reduce design debt.
Why This Matters
Without a system, every button might have a slightly different padding, or every grey background might be a slightly different hex code. "Design Debt" accumulates, making the product look unpolished and hard to maintain. A Design System provides a Single Source of Truth for all visual decisions.
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Define global tokens for color, type, and spacing, and see them apply to live components.
Open System BuilderFrequently Asked Questions
What is a Design Token?
A token is a variable that stores a design decision. Instead of hardcoding `#3B82F6`, you use a token named `color-primary`. This allows you to change the primary color in one place and have it update everywhere.
Do I need a design system for a small project?
Even for small projects, having a "mini-system" (defined colors and fonts) saves time. You don't need a massive documentation site, but you should have a consistent set of variables.