Alex Mercier

Craft

Notes on building a design system nobody hates

A system that designers route around is not a system, it is a suggestion. The fix is rarely more governance and usually fewer, better decisions.

Fewer decisions, held firmly

  • One scale, no exceptions — a component that needs a new step does not need a new step.
  • Names that describe intent, never appearance.
  • A written reason beside every token, so the next person can argue with it.

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