I’m reviewing my design system governance model that I created previously. This is a process where design components and patterns are created, tested and introduced into an existing design system. This process covers the use case and how development teams use new design components within a product infrastructure.
There are considerations when designing a governance model which include how team members access and use the design system. The internal users can be at different technical levels with different system requirements, for example stakeholders, product owners, developers and testers. I aim to engage with all user groups to produce an inclusive design system.
I originally started with a simple flow chart which I then developed to illustrate how design components and patterns are created and introduced to the system as usable, tested design elements. My goverance model process is scalable and can be adapted as the system develops and grows with the business. A design system should and will change over time so being able to adapt as a company grows and the product range expands is key.
I always encourage contribution to my design systems as anyone can put forward ideas, so making the contribution process easy is important. Anyone can have a good idea and can give an objective view on how design patterns work and products are experienced in the real world.
My goal is to create a design and production process which adds consistency, accessibility and usability for end users. This strengthens a product range and online brand by providing a better user experience. The current version of my design system governance model is below.
This model covers the flow of design system product production and can be applied to any system at any stage of development. If you want to know more about my design system work and experience get in touch as I’m always happy to discuss design systems.