How I Built a Component-Based Design System from Scratch – Stephen Okwechime
As UI designers, we thrive on creation. We revel in bringing ideas to life visually, crafting interactions that delight users, and solving problems through design. Yet, in the fast pace of product development, that initial spark can sometimes fade under the burden of inconsistency, duplicated effort, and the frustrating sense of reinventing the wheel every time a new feature is added. I’ve faced this challenge firsthand.
During a project for a sprawling SaaS platform, with multiple teams contributing features at a rapid clip, the cracks in our design approach became painfully obvious. Slight variations in colour shades, inconsistent button paddings, and disjointed typography were more than cosmetic flaws, they fractured the user experience and made the product feel less cohesive. For me as the UI designer, this was a daily frustration that extended beyond aesthetics. It slowed development, caused repeated rework, and ultimately risked the user’s trust in our product.
It was clear that a more structured, unified approach was urgently needed. The concept of a design system, specifically one built on reusable components, started to take shape not as a trend, but as a practical necessity. This realization didn’t come in a flash but evolved gradually, as I saw the growing costs of patchwork design.
Identifying the Pain Points: The “Why” Behind a Design System
Before rushing to solutions, it was crucial to understand the root problems. I initiated conversations with developers, product managers, and fellow designers to get multiple perspectives. I also performed informal “consistency audits” on our product, documenting the visual and functional discrepancies. What emerged was a clear narrative: the user interface was inconsistent, design and development teams were duplicating effort by building similar elements from scratch, communication gaps about design expectations led to repeated corrections, and the growing product struggled to scale while maintaining a coherent visual language.
Laying the Foundation: Research and Defining Principles
With a firm grasp on the problem, I embarked on extensive research. I studied well-known design systems like Google’s Material Design, Atlassian’s Design System, and Shopify’s Polaris. My goal was not to copy but to learn how they structured components, documented usage, and balanced flexibility with consistency.
Parallel to this, I defined our design principles to guide decision-making. These principles were actionable and rooted in our project needs: consistency to create a unified and predictable user experience; reusability to save time by creating modular, adaptable components; scalability to ensure the system could grow alongside the product without breaking down; and accessibility to make sure that our designs served all users, regardless of ability.
These principles became our compass, helping the team navigate tricky design choices and ensuring that every component aligned with our core values.
Building the Core: Identifying and Designing Components
Next, I audited our existing UI to identify the building blocks we used most often. Buttons, input fields, labels, typography styles, these became the foundation. For each component, I detailed its visual style, including colors, spacing, and typography; defined all necessary states like default, hover, focus, and disabled; and outlined basic behaviour such as button clicks or input validations.
Early collaboration with front-end developers was key. Together, we agreed on component naming conventions, technical feasibility, and how designs would translate into code. One significant decision was to create generic base components with modifiers (for example, a single button component with variations like primary, secondary, or disabled), rather than multiple very specific buttons. This approach maximized flexibility and reuse.
Documenting the Language: Making the System Usable
A design system is only as good as its documentation. Initially, I used Figma combined with a simple internal wiki to capture the system’s components. Each component was documented with a clear name, description, visual specifications, usage guidelines, and code snippets (we used React). I also included examples of correct and incorrect usage to reduce ambiguity.
However, the first iteration of the documentation was overly technical and visually dense, making it difficult for some team members to fully grasp. To improve adoption, I added more human-friendly explanations and real-world examples of when and how to use components. This shift helped demystify the system and fostered wider buy-in from designers, developers, and product managers alike.
Iteration and Testing: The System as a Living Entity
After launching the foundational system, I rolled it out in active projects to test its usability in real-world scenarios. We held regular feedback sessions with designers and developers to identify gaps, issues, and missing components. For example, the initial card component was simple, but feedback highlighted the need for variations with different headers and layouts, so we iterated accordingly.
Beyond internal feedback, I observed user interactions to uncover usability problems we hadn’t anticipated. This hands-on testing led to refinements not only in design but also in documentation clarity. The key lesson was that a design system is never “done.” It’s a living framework that must evolve as product needs and user expectations change.
Collaboration: The Backbone of Success
Collaboration was integral throughout this process. This was never a solo effort. Designers provided visual insights and use cases, developers ensured technical feasibility and implementation, and product managers aligned the system with business priorities. Weekly design system sync-ups helped maintain momentum, resolve roadblocks, and plan incremental improvements.
Maintenance and Evolution: Sustaining the System
Even after the initial launch, the work continued. I conducted regular audits to identify inconsistencies, implemented version control to track changes, and created a contribution model allowing team members to propose new components or improvements. Education was also vital, I developed onboarding materials and workshops to help new hires understand and use the system effectively.
For anyone starting this journey, I recommend beginning small and focusing on your “why.” Prioritize collaboration and view the design system as a living tool, not just a UI kit that scales your product and empowers your team to build better, faster, and more cohesively. The effort is considerable, but the payoff is profound.
Stephen Okwechime is a UX and UI Designer with a strong foundation in computer science and a Master’s degree in Design Innovation. He has designed intuitive, user-centred digital experiences across fintech, e-commerce, and service platforms. With a focus on usability, accessibility, and visual consistency, Stephen has led projects ranging from AI-powered chat interfaces to full service journey redesigns for public services. Stephen is passionate about creating inclusive digital solutions that improve everyday interactions for users.
