Who Builds a Design System
Tiffinbox's first attempt at Thali was two designers working alone for three months. The result looked beautiful. Engineering never used it: half the components could not be built the way they were drawn, and nobody had asked the product teams what they needed. A design system is shared by many people, so many people have to help build it.
The rule
Everyone who makes, uses or funds it gets a voice; one person owns it.
The people with a stake in a design system fall into three groups.
Makers, who build the system:
- Designers shape the foundations, the design-tool components and the patterns.
- Engineers for web, iOS and Android build the component libraries and keep them fast and reliable.
- Content designers write the voice, tone and wording rules.
- Accessibility specialists make sure every part works with screen readers, keyboards and good contrast.
- Testers check components across devices and browsers.
Users, who consume it: the product teams building Tiffinbox's apps. They are the system's customers. Their requests, complaints and contributions decide whether it succeeds.
Funders, who make time for it: a leadership sponsor, such as the VP of Product, who gives the work people, budget and a clear mandate. Without one, system work loses to feature work every time.
Product managers often sit across all three groups, turning needs into a roadmap for the system. Brand and marketing teams matter too, because the system has to express the brand faithfully.
Finally, someone must be accountable: a design system lead or product owner who makes the final call when opinions differ. Shared input without an owner produces a system nobody can steer.
The shortcut
Find stakeholders with three questions: who makes it, who uses it, who pays for it? Then scan the list for missing voices.
Who makes it?
Two product designers, two web engineers, one iOS and one Android engineer, and a content designer for part of each week.
Drills
Answer fast — trust the rule.
Who is most likely to write Thali's rules for button labels and error messages?
Why did Tiffinbox's designer-only first attempt fail to get adopted?
In the three-group model, what are the product teams who use Thali?
What does a leadership sponsor mainly give a design system?
Remember
- Everyone who makes, uses or funds the system gets a voice; one person owns it.
- Shortcut: ask who makes it, who uses it and who pays for it, then look for missing voices.
- Trap: a system built by one discipline alone, or one with many voices but no owner.