WHAT IS A DESIGN SYSTEM?
At its core, a design system is a collection of guidelines, components, elements, and patterns that define the visual and interactive language of a brand or product. It brings together design and development into a unified framework, allowing teams to collaborate more effectively and deliver consistent user experiences.
In 2024, design systems have become living, evolving ecosystems that grow with your product. They are no longer static documents but dynamic, integrated systems that automate the connection between design tools like Figma and code environments like Storybook, providing a single source of truth for everyone involved.
A Living Ecosystem
At its core, a design system using Buttons is more than just a collection of guidelines and components; it’s a robust framework that integrates design and development into a cohesive unit. This fusion allows teams to collaborate more effectively, delivering a consistent user experience that evolves with your brand.
In 2024, design systems are dynamic, living ecosystems. They are no longer static documents but are actively integrated systems that automate the flow between design tools like Figma and code libraries generated by Buttons.Design, creating a single source of truth that benefits all stakeholders.
Introducing Two Types of Properties
Brand Properties
These originate from marketing decisions and are inherently subjective. They cover stylistic choices such as color schemes and typography. This is where the brand’s visual identity comes into play, guiding the emotional and aesthetic appeal of the product.
Element Properties
These are the functional attributes defined within the design tools like Figma. For instance, a button—as an element—houses both the brand’s style properties and its own operational properties, like size or click behavior.
From Figma to Functional Components
When designers choose to save a design element like a button as a component in Figma, they’re starting a process that extends beyond the design tool itself. To become a part of a Buttons.Design-powered design system, this element must also have a corresponding representation in the code library, automatically generated by Buttons.Design. This dual existence ensures that the design and development environments are seamlessly connected, eliminating inconsistencies and speeding up the development process.
Creating a Collection of Reusable Properties
Once an element’s properties are defined and stored, they transform into a collection of reusable attributes. This allows designers to apply these properties not only to the original element but also to modify and reuse them across various components—such as secondary or tertiary buttons—simply by swapping properties. This flexibility is key to maintaining consistency while accommodating diverse design needs.
Components vs Patterns
Choosing not to store properties as part of a true component results in what we define as a pattern. While a pattern can utilize stored properties, it isn’t fully reusable in the same way a component is. A pattern serves more as a template or guideline rather than a standalone, deployable UI element.
Components
A component is a concrete, reusable UI element that is defined both in the design tool (like Figma) and in the corresponding code library. Components are the building blocks of a design system, designed to be used repeatedly across different parts of a product or suite of products.
Patterns
A pattern in a design system refers to a specific arrangement or sequence of design elements that serve as a template for creating consistent user experiences. Unlike components, which are discrete, reusable UI elements, patterns describe broader design solutions that solve common user problems.
The Future Is Integrated
With Buttons, the future of design systems is integrated and intuitive. By blending marketing insights directly with design execution, we bridge the gap between creative vision and technical implementation. Our system not only enhances the efficiency of design processes but also ensures that the final product resonates with both the brand identity and user expectations.