Blog / Brand
Design systems for small teams.
You don't need a hundred components. You need a few rules everyone follows.
Start small
Big companies have design systems with hundreds of parts. A small team needs a page, not a library. The goal is the same: anyone on the team can make something that looks like you.
The short list
Most small teams only need these.
- Colours, with what each one is for.
- Two typefaces and their sizes.
- Buttons, cards and forms.
- Templates for the things you make every week: posts, emails, decks.
Keep it alive
A system only works if people use it. Keep it where the team already works, and update it when you make something new. One owner helps.
Key takeaway
A one-page system your whole team uses beats a big one nobody opens.