Taha

Work

UX Resources

Taha

Work

UX Resources

Work

UX Resources

Taha

Work

UX Resources

Essentia Design System

Creating a design system for a rapidly scaling agency

Project Vision

Project Vision

Project Vision

Project Vision

Orin Design Agency, specializing in product design services for startups and businesses, sought to enhance their design efficiency and consistency. The objective was to develop a comprehensive design system, named Essentia, to enable rapid creation of cohesive, high-quality user experiences across various platforms. This system aimed to establish a unified design language, reduce inconsistencies, and streamline collaboration among cross-functional teams.

Expertise and Deliverables

Expertise and Deliverables

Expertise and Deliverables

Expertise and Deliverables

My Role

My Role

My Role

Design System Architect, UI Designer

Timeline

Timeline

Timeline

3 Weeks

Deliverables

Deliverables

Deliverables

Design System Library with over 30 variable components
1. Fully defined token library
2. Comprehensive documentation for implementation

The Challenge

Orin faced the challenge of scaling their design output while maintaining quality and cohesion. The absence of a standardized design system led to inconsistencies and increased training and collaboration efforts among teams. The goal was to create a system that would:

  • Facilitate rapid design and development processes

  • Ensure consistency across all projects

  • Reduce the cognitive load on designers and developers

  • Comply with accessibility standards (WCAG 2.2)

Establishing Foundations:

  • Curated base elements such as typography, color palettes, icons, effects, and elevations.

  • Ensured all colors met a contrast ratio of over 6 to comply with WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards.

  • Atomic Design Principles:

    • Applied atomic design methodology to build components from basic elements (atoms) to complex structures (molecules and organisms).

    • Developed components like buttons, modals, and calendars, which were then combined into larger templates and pages.

  • Tokenization and Naming Conventions:

    • Developed a clear tokenization system to facilitate ease of use across teams.

    • Created a primitive color set for brand and alert colors, and a semantic library for detailed tokenization, aiding in clear communication between design and development teams.

  • Component Library Development:

    • Assembled a comprehensive library of over 30 variable components, including accordions, menus, and profile sections, commonly used in SaaS applications.

    • Ensured components were adaptable and reusable across different projects and platforms.

Establishing Foundations:

  • Curated base elements such as typography, color palettes, icons, effects, and elevations.

  • Ensured all colors met a contrast ratio of over 6 to comply with WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards.

  • Atomic Design Principles:

    • Applied atomic design methodology to build components from basic elements (atoms) to complex structures (molecules and organisms).

    • Developed components like buttons, modals, and calendars, which were then combined into larger templates and pages.

  • Tokenization and Naming Conventions:

    • Developed a clear tokenization system to facilitate ease of use across teams.

    • Created a primitive color set for brand and alert colors, and a semantic library for detailed tokenization, aiding in clear communication between design and development teams.

  • Component Library Development:

    • Assembled a comprehensive library of over 30 variable components, including accordions, menus, and profile sections, commonly used in SaaS applications.

    • Ensured components were adaptable and reusable across different projects and platforms.

Establishing Foundations:

  • Curated base elements such as typography, color palettes, icons, effects, and elevations.

  • Ensured all colors met a contrast ratio of over 6 to comply with WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards.

  • Atomic Design Principles:

    • Applied atomic design methodology to build components from basic elements (atoms) to complex structures (molecules and organisms).

    • Developed components like buttons, modals, and calendars, which were then combined into larger templates and pages.

  • Tokenization and Naming Conventions:

    • Developed a clear tokenization system to facilitate ease of use across teams.

    • Created a primitive color set for brand and alert colors, and a semantic library for detailed tokenization, aiding in clear communication between design and development teams.

  • Component Library Development:

    • Assembled a comprehensive library of over 30 variable components, including accordions, menus, and profile sections, commonly used in SaaS applications.

    • Ensured components were adaptable and reusable across different projects and platforms.

Establishing Foundations:

  • Curated base elements such as typography, color palettes, icons, effects, and elevations.

  • Ensured all colors met a contrast ratio of over 6 to comply with WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards.

  • Atomic Design Principles:

    • Applied atomic design methodology to build components from basic elements (atoms) to complex structures (molecules and organisms).

    • Developed components like buttons, modals, and calendars, which were then combined into larger templates and pages.

  • Tokenization and Naming Conventions:

    • Developed a clear tokenization system to facilitate ease of use across teams.

    • Created a primitive color set for brand and alert colors, and a semantic library for detailed tokenization, aiding in clear communication between design and development teams.

  • Component Library Development:

    • Assembled a comprehensive library of over 30 variable components, including accordions, menus, and profile sections, commonly used in SaaS applications.

    • Ensured components were adaptable and reusable across different projects and platforms.

Documentation

Provided detailed documentation to support the implementation and adoption of the design system, ensuring all team members had a shared understanding of component usage and design patterns.

Impact
The implementation of the Essentia Design System enabled Orin to:

  • Expand their client base to over six monthly retainers within two months.

  • Accelerate design delivery times while maintaining a unified design language across all products.

  • Reduce training time and improve collaboration efficiency among cross-functional teams.

Documentation

Provided detailed documentation to support the implementation and adoption of the design system, ensuring all team members had a shared understanding of component usage and design patterns.

Impact
The implementation of the Essentia Design System enabled Orin to:

  • Expand their client base to over six monthly retainers within two months.

  • Accelerate design delivery times while maintaining a unified design language across all products.

  • Reduce training time and improve collaboration efficiency among cross-functional teams.

Documentation

Provided detailed documentation to support the implementation and adoption of the design system, ensuring all team members had a shared understanding of component usage and design patterns.

Impact
The implementation of the Essentia Design System enabled Orin to:

  • Expand their client base to over six monthly retainers within two months.

  • Accelerate design delivery times while maintaining a unified design language across all products.

  • Reduce training time and improve collaboration efficiency among cross-functional teams.

Documentation

Provided detailed documentation to support the implementation and adoption of the design system, ensuring all team members had a shared understanding of component usage and design patterns.

Impact
The implementation of the Essentia Design System enabled Orin to:

  • Expand their client base to over six monthly retainers within two months.

  • Accelerate design delivery times while maintaining a unified design language across all products.

  • Reduce training time and improve collaboration efficiency among cross-functional teams.

Conclusion

Conclusion

Conclusion

Conclusion

This project underscores the importance of a well-structured design system in enhancing productivity, ensuring design consistency, and supporting business growth in a rapidly scaling design agency.