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Evolving a Design System for Efficiency and Creative Flexibility
Design System
Yext Design Services
Designing for a diverse portfolio of clients requires a system that jumpstarts the design phase while remaining flexible enough to accommodate unique brand identities.
OVERVIEW
Designing for a diverse portfolio of clients requires a system that jumpstarts the design phase while remaining flexible enough to accommodate unique brand identities. Our design system serves as the foundation for consistent, scalable design delivery that enables any designer on the team to jump into a file and seamlessly pick up where another left off.
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The developers we collaborate with leverage a corresponding component library, ensuring design-to-development alignment and faster implementation. My role as Design Manager is to ensure our system evolves alongside our client's needs, leverages the latest Figma capabilities, and empowers our designers to work efficiently and creatively.
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THE DESIGN SYSTEM
Our design system is built on a foundation of reusable components that function as flexible building blocks for any project. By standardizing the core elements (buttons, cards, navigation patterns, and more) we enable designers to move quickly while maintaining consistency across clients and brands. These building blocks streamline collaboration, reduce duplication, and ensure that anyone on the team can jump into a file and continue the work seamlessly.
THE PROBLEM
Working across multiple clients with unique requirements made it challenging to identify whether design pain points were isolated or systemic. A designer might encounter a recurring friction point but perceive it as a one-off issue. Without visibility, inefficiencies could persist, or similar components could be rebuilt from scratch, increasing design time and reducing cohesion.
We needed a consistent, transparent process for surfacing design system issues and evaluating which proposed updates would add real value without creating unnecessary clutter or complexity.
THE SOLUTION
To make our design system truly collaborative and adaptable, I embedded ongoing system discussions into our weekly team meetings. Each Monday, designers are encouraged to raise ideas for improving or fixing components, supported by context from recent client work.
We evaluate each proposal as a team, weighing the pros and cons of implementation. Every discussion is documented in a shared Google Doc, including decisions not to move forward so that we can capture our rationale for future reference. This documentation approach helps new designers understand not just what standards exist, but why they exist. When a proposal is approved, the designer who initiated it owns the implementation and communication of that change in Slack and our design system documentation.
Enforcement and Continuous Feedback
Adherence to the design system is reinforced through peer reviews and 1:1 feedback sessions. Common improvement areas include consistent layer naming and converting repeated elements into reusable components. We also incorporate developer feedback during QA reviews to ensure our design files translate smoothly into production.
Adapting to NEW Figma Features
As Figma introduces new features, I lead collaborative reviews to explore how they might enhance our system. The rollout of variables was a pivotal moment that enabled the rapid creation of multi-branded design files. Recognizing the opportunity, I empowered a senior designer to lead an exploration initiative focused on integrating variables into our workflow. I provided ongoing guidance and weekly check-ins to ensure our approach was scalable and sustainable.
Design System Updates Tracker
All design system updates and proposals are logged in a shared tracker, where designers submit bugs, enhancements, and workflow improvements. We review the tracker weekly to prioritize, align, and define next steps.
IMPACT
Improved team accountability and shared understanding through documentation that captures the why behind design system decisions.
Accelerated multi-brand workflows: Using Figma variables, we created six branded design variations in the same time it previously took to design one.
Professional growth and team empowerment: The senior designer who led the variables initiative gained hands-on experience in design system evolution and mentorship.
Streamlined design-to-dev collaboration through consistent peer review and developer feedback loops.
REFLECTION
A design system is only as strong as the culture that supports it. Keeping the conversation open, inviting collaboration, and empowering ownership across the team ensures our system stays relevant and scalable. It truly takes a village to maintain and evolve a system that balances efficiency with creativity.
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