Waiting for every component to be ready before launching a design system usually delays it. The MVP design system approach focuses on creating value quickly by first building the core pieces teams need most.
The goal isn’t to start with a flawless system, but to create a foundation that is usable, measurable and able to grow over time.
Building a design system isn’t the end of the journey; it’s the beginning. The real question comes next: How are you going to move the existing product onto the new design system?
Many companies spend months building a design system. Components are prepared. Documentation is written. Tokens are defined. There are even launch meetings.
A few months go by and the same sentence starts coming up: “The team isn’t using it anyway.”
So why?
A design system doesn’t collapse because of big decisions.
It starts with small “exceptions”. (I put that in quotes on purpose, because we all run into them.)
“A design system is the design team’s responsibility.”
You can hear this sentence in many companies. But this point of view misses the real value of a design system.
Picture two companies of the same size. Both have a similar number of developers, designers and PMs. One ships a new feature in a week; the other can’t finish the same work in a month.
So where is the difference?
When people hear “design system”, most of them think of components, colours and typography. For a company, though, the real question is:
What does this investment actually bring us?
Here’s a suggestion for small teams that can’t afford to open a dedicated UX Writer position:
First, clearly define your brand’s language, voice, and tone. Then create a brand-specific bot (GPTs) using ChatGPT. Teach this bot your brand details so the team can use it correctly.
I’ve been using Figma’s Figma Sites product for about two weeks now. I think it’s time to share my initial impressions.
