Audit the existing product

Go through your product and review all of its various front-end design elements. From there, you can build a catalog of UI components and visual elements that will form the foundation of your design system. Moreover, you can identify any inconsistencies that may have emerged and make the appropriate design decisions for the future.

Define your design language

Establish clear principles on how you think about your product, and create guidelines on how you’ll bring those principles to life. Design principles lay out the branding vision for your product, including how you want customers to feel while using it.

The visual design language you choose for your overall design system includes guidelines for color palettes, typography, iconography, and imagery. These elements work together to create the feel of your brand — and instill the desired emotion in your customers.

Build a pattern library of common design elements

Your pattern library is a collection of reusable UI components that will streamline design in the future.

These patterns form a library that is structurally sound and evocative of the appropriate emotion and brand aesthetic.

Document guidelines on how and when to use design elements

Without clear guidelines on how and when to use design elements, you don’t have a true design system — rather, you have a collection of elements and libraries. As you create your design system, be sure to document shared practices on how teams can effectively use and maintain it.