Design Systems: Evolution and Future

This may sound strange, but I come from a generation of designers that had to adapt and freeze certain skills, such as branding, in order to keep up with the demands of UX and UI. For a while, I immersed myself in these fields, learning new skills and adapting to digital methodologies. However, I never lost that deep connection to a brand's personality, and over time I discovered something interesting: design systems are, at their core, based on brand identity and personality.

A design system appears to be just a set of components and style guides, but what really defines its success is how it visually translates a brand's identity. The fundamentals of a good design system are built on solid foundations, such as the color palette generated by branding. The amazing thing is that, in the end, a design system connects areas that seemed disconnected: from branding to development to user experience.

What I have learned is that most design systems fail not because they lack technology or resources, but because they are not integrated early enough into an organization's process. A successful design system is not just about visual components; it's about aligning all areas involved in creating value, from graphic designers to engineers to product managers.

Atomic Design Methodology: The Basis for Design Systems

One concept that marked a before and after in my career was atomic design. This methodology, popularized by Brad Frost, proposes that interface design is based on small units called “atoms”, which are then combined into larger molecules and organisms. This way of thinking was innovative because it changed the way we approach component creation, helping to make design more flexible and scalable.

Recently, however, I've heard some designers question whether atomic design will remain relevant in the future. While some believe it could disappear, I am convinced that it remains a solid foundation for design systems. Its modular approach allows us to build more efficiently and maintain consistency in large, complex projects.

You can't talk about design systems without mentioning Dan Mall, one of the most influential designers in the field. His approach goes far beyond the simple creation of visual components; Mall advocates a strategic vision that encompasses the entire design process. According to him, design systems are not static entities, but living organisms that must evolve along with the needs of the project and the technology in use.

Personally, I have learned a lot from following his work, and he has been instrumental in my understanding of how design systems can adapt to a changing environment. His book Design That Scales: Creating a Sustainable Design System Practice is an indispensable resource for any designer who wants to delve deeper into this topic. This year I had the opportunity to complete all the courses on his educational platform, Design System University, and I am reading his book for the second time.

The Influence of Dan Mall

Revisiting his work has allowed me to not only improve my ability to build and maintain sustainable design systems, but also to face complex challenges, such as inconsistency within teams or communication difficulties with stakeholders. Dan Mall teaches that in those moments, it is crucial to know when to communicate to the client that we need more time to adjust or update the design system. In addition, he has helped me develop a key soft skill: leading teams with a common goal, ensuring that all decisions are aligned for the continuous improvement of our system.

Conclusion

This has been my evolution as a designer: from mastering the basics of branding, to understanding how these same basics feed and give life to functional, scalable and consistent design systems. Today I can say that my skill is not only in designing beautiful interfaces, but in creating systems that unite the visual with the functional, the technical with the emotional, and that have a real impact on user experiences.

With the constant evolution of tools and methodologies, design systems will continue to be an integral part of any visual designer's work. Tools like Figma allow us to go beyond just designing; now, we create complete systems that can scale, adapt and facilitate collaboration between different teams, generating a significant impact on projects and the end user experience. And as Dan Mall confirms, we create design systems that everyone wants to use, ensuring that every member of the team feels connected and engaged with the system, from designers to developers to product owners.