The Benefit of Building with UX Design Systems 

UX Design Systems Explained

Enterprise design systems offer a more straightforward approach to digital marketing by distilling design principles and guidelines into one united process. When designers and developers follow an established system, they create consistent, user-friendly interfaces every time. 

The best way to explain the components of system design is to break down a popular framework within our industry. The atomic design process consists of five steps that build off each other to yield a more thoughtful interface design.

1. Atoms. Atoms are the smallest unit of matter in our world — in design, an atom would be the basic components of your website or application, such as buttons, icons and text fields.
2. Molecules. Molecules are combinations of atoms in a UX design system. For instance, combining a button and an input field would yield a search bar within your website.
3. Organisms. Organisms are many molecules combined. Designers refer to this as a “section.” For example, a developer could compile multiple input fields, buttons and other components of system design to create a form at the bottom of your page. 
4. Templates. Once you have created multiple “organisms,” you may unite them for a complete design. For example, your website may have multiple service pages that follow the same template. 
5. Pages. A page is the final step in design. Here, we may see how enterprise design systems function and then go back to tweak each element so it better serves the page context.

When put together, UX design systems ensure consistency at every level. Ultimately, a defined process such as atomic design streamlines the creation of a digital platform — especially as team members join a project. More than that, the final product shows that your brand cares about the small details, reinforcing a positive perception of credibility among consumers. 

The Components of System Design 

UX system design provides repeatable components and standards to carry throughout new pages and platforms. However, it is vital to remember that Paradigm’s process involves more than one document. To ensure seamless experiences, our team would typically build off the following components of system design: 

• • Component library. This digital library would provide predesigned elements that may be reused on new website pages, social media posts, brand collateral and other applicable marketing channels. For example, a custom UX design system may involve icons applicable to multiple web pages. 

• Brand Values. Enterprise design systems incorporate values from conversations and extensive ideation resulting from our brand positioning process. The language used in the final brand positioning document will guide our copywriters when creating new website content, social media captions and beyond. 

• Brand style guide. Like values, style guides often stem from our comprehensive brand identity process. This document provides established dos and don’ts for common design elements such as color palettes, logo treatments, patterns and typography. These standards create a quick reference for developers and designers to reference as they implement content across your platforms. 

The Power of Consistency 

UX design systems are a launch point for better impressions with your consumers. Our designers, developers, technologists and writers will follow the components of system design to ensure your platforms blend harmoniously. 

Note that these standards are not just for our benefit — they also yield immense results for your bottom line. Research by Forrester shows that an intentional and strategic user experience may raise conversion rates by as much as 400 percent. For organizations focused on growth, design systems will become a foundational aspect of multi-channel marketing efforts. 

But developing, maintaining and implementing enterprise design systems takes time — so that is where our team steps in. Paradigm’s interdisciplinary marketing experts create clear and consistent guidelines for your content, cementing your success in future endeavors. 

Ready to get started? Contact our team for a tailor-made design system.