Design Systems Are Products

Traditional approaches to design systems often focus on technical aspects: building component libraries, style guides, and documentation. They assume that adoption will follow naturally in a Field of Dreams style “build it and they will come”. Instead, they often face low usage, inconsistent implementation, and eventual abandonment. Why? Because design systems aren't just repositories of reusable components, they are products that require user engagement, iteration, and ongoing support.

The Core Challenges

The first hurdle is awareness. Do teams even know the design system exists? And if they do, can they easily find the components they need? A well-structured system should be discoverable and intuitive, reducing the cognitive load for developers and designers alike.

Next comes usability. Documentation isn’t just a nice-to-have - it’s essential. Poor documentation slows down adoption, increases friction, and contradicts the very purpose of a design system: efficiency. Components must also evolve thoughtfully. How do you decide when to extend a component’s flexibility versus splitting it into separate ones? Without governance, systems become bloated and complex.

Then, there’s support. A design system isn’t a static asset - it’s a living product that requires maintenance. Teams need clear pathways to request new components, contribute updates, and ensure versioning consistency across web, mobile, and other platforms. Without proper support structures, a design system will stagnate.

The 2022 Design System Survey found that only 30% of all respondents reported their design system having support, training, and new user onboarding. Yet those who reported having successful design systems had these practices in place 76% of the time.

Treating a Design System Like a Product

Design system adoption mirrors the challenges of any software product: user acquisition, retention, and long-term engagement. Just as successful products solve user problems, design systems must address the real needs of developers and designers—not just enforce rigid standards.

The shift in thinking is simple but transformative:

• Stop asking, "What does the design system need?"

• Start asking, "What do our users need?"

This mindset shift leads to better outcomes because it aligns the design system’s evolution with actual usage patterns, rather than an idealised framework that doesn’t solve people’s immediate problems.

Driving Adoption and Engagement

To build a design system that people actually use, teams must actively drive adoption rather than passively wait for users to come to them. Strategies include:

1. Evangelisation & Internal Marketing – Teams don’t adopt what they don’t know exists. Use demos, internal newsletters, office hours, and success stories to promote usage.

2. Embedded Champions – Assign design system advocates within product teams to bridge the gap between the system team and everyday users.

3. Onboarding & Training – Create interactive walkthroughs and hands-on workshops to lower the barrier to entry.

4. Incentivising Use – Show teams how the design system saves time, reduces maintenance overhead, and allows them to focus on innovation rather than rebuilding UI patterns.

Scaling & Governance

Adoption is just the start. A sustainable design system requires clear governance, versioning, and contribution workflows:

• Frictionless Contribution Models – Ensure designers and engineers can easily request updates, provide feedback, and contribute back.

• Versioning & Deprecation – Clear migration paths for breaking changes prevent teams from getting stuck on outdated components.

• Cross-Platform Consistency – Ensure UI patterns evolve in sync across web, mobile, and other platforms to maintain a seamless experience.

• Audit & Evolution – Regularly assess which components are actually being used, which need refinement, and which should be retired.

Measuring Success: Outcomes over Outputs

A design system’s success shouldn’t be measured by how many components exist but by how effectively it is used. Instead of output-based metrics (e.g. number of components built), focus on adoption and efficiency metrics such as:

• Usage rates – How many teams actively use the design system?

• Time saved – How much faster is UI development with system components? How many fewer UI bugs are raised?

• Consistency score – How well are teams adhering to the system’s patterns?

• Support requests – Are teams struggling to use the system, or is friction decreasing over time?

By prioritising real-world outcomes, design system teams ensure their work delivers tangible value rather than just technical completeness.

The Path Forward

Treating a design system as a product isn't just a mindset shift - it’s a practical approach to driving adoption, maintaining relevance, and delivering lasting value. The most successful design systems are not those with the most components or the cleanest code, but those that teams actually want to use.

The key is simple: stop focusing on the design system itself, focus on its users. Build for their needs, remove friction, and ensure strong feedback loops. With the right support, funding, and governance, your design system won’t just be another repository of unused components. It will become an indispensable tool for building better, more efficient, and more consistent products.