{"id":4269485,"date":"2022-03-14T19:30:55","date_gmt":"2022-03-14T17:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dept.global\/insight\/why-design-systems-fail-how-make-yours-success\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T13:41:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T11:41:38","slug":"why-design-systems-fail-how-make-yours-success","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.dept.global\/en-au\/insight\/why-design-systems-fail-how-make-yours-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Why design systems fail, and how to make yours a success"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\n\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tBack to all articles\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n<\/button>\n\t\tWhy design systems fail, and how to make yours a success\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\n\t<\/div>
\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t
\n\t\tJon Sukarangsan\t\t
\n\t\tExecutive Director \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tDate\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t14 March 2022\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t
\n\t\t\n

Born from the need to rapidly evolve interfaces between screen surfaces, modern UX\/UI has been catapulted into a full-fledged industry. Today, UX\/UI touches every product\u2013from e-commerce and marketplaces to activity tracking and fintech.

As these digital experiences have evolved, the ecosystems they live in got bigger and more complex, with multiple teams all contributing to digital products.\u00a0

To solve these complex ecosystems, design systems<\/strong> were born.\u00a0

A design system is a \u201ccollection of reusable functional elements<\/a>\u2013components and patterns\u2013guided by clear standards that product teams use to create a consistent experience across a range of products.\u201d

Design systems are the answer to problems of scale, consistency, and speed to market.

Today, we\u2019ve reached a certain point of maturation in modern UI design. There\u2019s a degree of commonality – a level of universally-ingrained patterns and interaction models in which we\u2019re all familiar.

Design systems as a practice have helped to operationalize, optimize, and create tools for building products. According to a 2021 study<\/a> by SparkBox, 46% of product organizations surveyed have a team specifically dedicated to progressing their design system efforts.\u00a0<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

\n\n\t
\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tThe most important output of systems is rarely the design itself. Rather, it\u2019s about bridging the gap around design intent.\t<\/h2>\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n
\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\tWhy design systems fail\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\tWhile design systems are a fantastic tool, they often fall short of their potential.\u00a0

To understand why we need to start with where the system lives.\u00a0

If it lives under your product engineering organization, it\u2019s likely a developer experience tool, making it easier for them to build and deploy UI and creative components.\u00a0

If it lives under brand or marketing, it’s often a creative productivity tool, ensuring consistent brand expression and execution across teams, channels, or touchpoints.\u00a0

This is where design systems fail.\u00a0

When you focus on one team to the detriment of others, design systems fail to reach their potential. In fact, this is evidenced in the challenges many organizations have with their systems.

The most important output of systems is rarely the design itself. Rather, it\u2019s about bridging the gap around design intent. That\u2019s the value of using systems as a tool for business alignment.

Here\u2019s how to create a design system that aligns teams, improves efficiency and keeps everyone up-to-date.\u00a0\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t