Design Systems
Design System Landscape Mapping
Before building a new design system, map what already exists. Design system landscape mapping inventories all components, patterns, styles, and documentation across products. Teams often waste months building "new" systems when inconsistent systems are already in place. An inventory reveals what to consolidate, not just what to create from scratch.
Duration
2 hours
Group Size
3-5
Category
Design Systems
Difficulty
Easy
The goals are to: Document existing design system artifacts. Identify redundancy and inconsistency. Assess quality and adoption. Inform strategy for consolidation or replacement.
The results are: A comprehensive inventory. Identified redundancy and inconsistency. An informed strategy for system consolidation.
Consider these points:
Hidden Systems: Formal systems are documented, but informal systems are often hidden in repos, Figma files, or team wikis. Hunt for them; they reveal actual practice vs. intended practice. Shadow systems exist because official systems failed.
Adoption Tells Truth: Low adoption means a system doesn't serve needs, regardless of its quality. A beautiful, unused system is a failure. An ugly, widely-used system is a success. Let usage data inform strategy, not aesthetics.
Hidden Systems: Formal systems are documented, but informal systems are often hidden in repos, Figma files, or team wikis. Hunt for them; they reveal actual practice vs. intended practice. Shadow systems exist because official systems failed.
Adoption Tells Truth: Low adoption means a system doesn't serve needs, regardless of its quality. A beautiful, unused system is a failure. An ugly, widely-used system is a success. Let usage data inform strategy, not aesthetics.
Start the conversation
Be the first to share your thoughts, experiences, or questions!