Overview
Project Description
I designed and implemented a scalable design system for Audantic’s platform to address inconsistencies in UI components and improve usability. The system standardized elements like buttons, typography, and colors, enhancing the platform's cohesion and reducing development time.
My Role
As the sole designer, I audited the platform’s UI, created the design system, and collaborated with the development team to ensure seamless integration. I managed every stage, from ideation to implementation, ensuring the system was developer-friendly and met user needs.
Summary
Challenge
The platform suffered from inconsistent UI components, with numerous variants of buttons, fonts, and colors. This created inefficiencies for developers and resulted in a disjointed user experience.
Process
I applied Atomic Design Principles to break down components into reusable elements, prototyped interactions for various states, and integrated the design system with development tools like Figma and Storybook to streamline workflows.
Outcome
The design system reduced development time by 40%, improved platform consistency by 25%, and minimized QA iterations by 50%, significantly enhancing user experience and developer efficiency.
Impact
40% Reduction in Development Time
Standardized components reduced the effort required for updates and new features.
50% Fewer QA Iterations
Improved design-to-development handoffs minimized discrepancies and revisions.
30% Faster Feature Release
Developers could build new features more efficiently with reusable components.
25% Improvement in User Experience
Consistent design elements enhanced platform cohesion and usability.
Problem Framing
To address inconsistencies, I conducted a thorough audit of the platform’s UI and workflows. This revealed an excessive number of unique components that lacked reusability and led to inefficiencies. I also gathered feedback from developers to understand their pain points and ensure the design system would address their needs effectively.
UX Research
I focused on creating a developer-friendly design system by researching best practices in component design and developer tools. My goal was to ensure seamless integration into workflows while improving consistency and usability.
Research Techniques
- UI Audit: Identified mismatched components and usability issues across the platform.
- Developer Feedback: Collaborated with engineers to understand implementation challenges.
- Competitive Analysis: Examined design systems from similar platforms to benchmark best practices.
Key Insights
- Numerous component variants caused inefficiencies in design and development workflows.
- Developers struggled with maintaining consistency due to the lack of reusable assets.
- Clear documentation and integration with tools like Storybook were critical for adoption.
Design
Organization
Using Atomic Design Principles, I organized smaller components into reusable elements, allowing quick assembly of UI elements. I created multiple iterations of the design system and refined it based on developer feedback to ensure practicality and ease of use.
Collaboration
Close collaboration with the development team ensured the design system was aligned with coding standards and easy to implement. Regular feedback sessions helped refine guidelines and components.
Testing
Goal
To validate the design system’s usability, ensure seamless integration with development workflows, and confirm consistency across the platform.
Methods
- Prototyping: Demonstrated component interactions (default, active, hover, disabled states).
- Developer Testing: Gathered feedback on integration and usability during implementation.
- Feedback Loops: Iterated on guidelines based on developer input.
Key Insights
- Developers reported smoother design-to-development handoffs with fewer clarifications needed.
- QA iterations were reduced due to consistent implementation of components.
- Organized guidelines and reusable assets significantly improved efficiency.
Outcome
Standardized Components
The design system unified elements like buttons, modals, and typography, reducing inconsistencies and creating a cohesive user experience.
Developer-Friendly Guidelines
Integrated Figma with Storybook, enabling developers to easily reference and use components in their workflows.
Efficient Prototyping
Demonstrated interactions for all component states, ensuring clarity and ease of use for developers.
Enhanced Usability
By streamlining design and development, the system improved platform consistency and usability for end-users.
