Design Systems Thinking
How systems thinking applies to design and why components are just the beginning
Planted: Last tended:
Design systems are often reduced to component libraries, but that misses the forest for the trees. A true design system is a way of thinking—a shared language and set of principles that guide how a team approaches problems.
Components are outputs, not inputs
When teams start with components, they’re working backwards. Components should emerge from understanding:
- What problems are we solving?
- What patterns keep recurring?
- Where do we need consistency vs. flexibility?
The three layers
I think about design systems in three layers:
- Principles — The “why” behind decisions
- Patterns — Reusable solutions to common problems
- Components — The tangible building blocks
Most teams jump straight to layer 3 and wonder why adoption is hard.
Living systems
The best design systems evolve. They’re not perfect—they’re good enough, and improving. This requires:
- Regular audits and pruning
- Clear contribution models
- Measuring what matters (adoption, consistency, velocity)
The goal isn’t to build a perfect system. It’s to build a system that makes the team more effective.