My first rendezvous with design systems

My journey with design systems commenced during my tenure as a UI developer in a project called Field Guide by McKinsey at Thoughtworks in 2015.

Back then, design systems were not as prevalent in the market. However, I recognised the pressing need for reusability and consistency, which motivated me to create a static style guide in PDF format for my team.

This simple yet effective document centralised all foundational styles and components, leading to a significant reduction in inconsistencies while developing new UI interfaces for our app. As a result, our team experienced accelerated delivery and more streamlined processes.

Delta Airlines: In the direction of modularity, reusability and scalability

In this airline-neutral project, I played a key role in partnering with Product Managers to successfully plan and execute the rebranding of a Virgin Atlantic Mobile Apps that had been acquired by Delta Airlines.

Collaborating closely with an esteemed external design agency, AKQA, London, we developed comprehensive design directives. As a leader within the mobile web team, I took charge of the app's rebranding efforts, which encompassed the following:

• Advocating and implementing the rebranding plan
• Streamlining the SASS code, making it modular and easily accessible for other developers
• Pairing with fellow developers and Quality Engineers to ensure smooth integration and utilisation

As the development teams (comprising 60+ developers in iOS, Android, and Mobile web) and the QE team were our primary users, it was paramount to deliver artifacts that were clear, concise, and easily consumable by them. This project proved instrumental in unveiling the true potential of design systems and the tremendous impact they can have.

Learn more about this project

Living Pattern Library

In 2017, while working as a designer at Activate Media, a start-up incubator, I recognised the need to streamline and expedite the development process. To achieve this goal, I proposed the creation of a Living Pattern Library, which would significantly reduce communication barriers between design and development teams and accelerate overall development.

As the sole designer in the team, I took charge of building foundational styles and UI components using Sketch. Drawing inspiration from the ReactJS storybook, I developed a dynamic living pattern library using ReactJS. This innovative solution empowered developers to swiftly construct user interfaces, saving valuable time and effort.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the living pattern library was its automatic updates. Any changes made to styles or components in the main application were reflected instantly in the pattern library, serving as the ultimate source of truth. This seamless synchronisation eliminated the need for additional efforts to maintain the library's accuracy.

The library can be found here

MEP Design systems

In 2018, during my tenure as a UX/UI Designer at the Macmillan Education team in Springer Nature, I had the privilege of spearheading and implementing the design systems project.

Collaborating closely with a fellow UI designer and a Lead UX designer, we embarked on building the design systems for the Macmillan Education Platform. Despite the constraints we faced, we efficiently deployed the design systems on Google Pages, enabling the design team to promptly start utilising its benefits.

MDUI Design systems

During my time at Mendeley, I actively contributed to the development of the MDUI design systems, a crucial project aimed at unifying the design experience across 6 Mendeley products, including web and desktop applications.

As a key member of the team, I focused on refining the buttons component in Figma for both web and desktop apps. This initiative played a pivotal role in eliminating discrepancies and expediting the design delivery process for various teams. Furthermore, I collaborated closely with the development team, enabling a seamless integration of our design systems through a modular approach.

In addition to my design efforts, I took on a leadership role by organising workshops to align on design decisions and foster a cohesive vision. My involvement extended to creating technical prototypes and guiding team members in building components. I also dedicated time to mentoring junior designers, empowering them to comprehend their tasks better and achieve impactful results.