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Design System Compliance
A breakdown of the design system compliance levels with explanations and considerations.
Full Compliance
Description: This level represents the strictest adherence to the design system.
Details:
All interactive elements (buttons, menus, accordions, etc.) are built solely using components from the design system Figma library. No custom-built interactive elements are used.
Only styles defined within the design system are used. This ensures consistent typography, color palettes, spacing, and other visual elements across all designs.
Benefits:
Highest level of consistency and efficiency.
Reduces development time as engineers can rely on pre-built components.
Easier maintenance as changes to components are reflected everywhere.
Considerations:
May limit some UI solution options.
May limit opportunities to identify new patterns that could be reused elsewhere.
Partial Compliance
Description: This is a balanced approach where the design system is the primary resource, but some exceptions are allowed.
Details:
Designers primarily use components and styles from the design system Figma library.
However, some interactive elements might be "one-off" designs, meaning they are custom-built for a specific purpose and not intended for reuse.
There's an opportunity to contribute these one-off elements to the design system if a similar pattern is needed elsewhere. This keeps the system evolving.
Benefits:
Maintains a high level of consistency while allowing for some flexibility.
Encourages designers to identify reusable patterns and contribute to the design system.
Considerations:
We strongly recommend consulting with the design system team to determine when a one-off design is acceptable.
We will also use this time to evaluate potentially adding one-off designs to the system.
Development time might increase due to custom element creation.
Additional Considerations
Context:
The ideal compliance level can vary depending on the project's specific needs. For example, a rapidly evolving feature might prioritize flexibility (partial compliance) over strict adherence (full compliance).
Communication:
Regardless of the chosen level, clear communication is crucial. This helps the design system team maintain consistent UI and assist feature teams to the best of our ability.
Be sure to bring new ideas to your monthly design system sync-up as early as possible. If you need to discuss a topic sooner, feel free to schedule time with our team or reach out in our slack channel.