For the past three years, I’ve been the design systems person on my team. And, no I’m not complaining, obsessing over tiny details is kind of my thing. But I won’t lie: it’s hard. And it’s hard because of those tiny details that I care so much about.

If you’ve ever built one, you already know a design system isn’t just a component library or a style guide. It’s all of that plus the glue between them.

Think of it as a language. Every atom means something, and together they contribute to the system’s grammar. If it’s going to be used, learnt, and understood by others, then each atom has to act like a mini manual that explains how to read, write, and speak within the system. And like every language, it should be able to develop and evolve.

Yes, it can be a headache. But it’s a necessary one. Because once it’s in place, everything moves faster and cleaner. And while design systems are ideally a team sport, you don’t need a 20-man team to start. I’ve shipped two systems solo, and if that’s the road you’re on too, here are a few things I’ve learned along the way:

Start with an apprenticeship
Literally.

If it’s your first time, this matters a lot. Learn from systems that have already seen many iterations and battles. Thankfully, plenty of companies open-source theirs. Study them. Use them, and see how they handle real-world complexity.

Good systems teach you what good even looks like. For me, it was Polaris by Shopify. Although I have moved on to others like Untitled UI, I loved its clarity and naming logic. I still borrow from it today.

Not sure where to begin? Try design repo, it’s a goldmine.

Plan, plan, plan — your own way

There’s no perfect formula here. Some people love flowcharts and diagrams. For me, what works is a lot of self talk (most preferred) and taking notes (frankly, I take notes only to be able to document!). Whatever gets your brain going, do that.

Just keep it simple and flexible. The point of a system is to make your work easier, not more confusing. You should always know how your smallest atoms relate to each other and why. That early thinking saves so much headache later.

Use AI, but don’t skip the basics

AI is powerful. There are tons of AI plugins that can whip up a whole system in minutes. But here’s the catch: if you don’t understand how design systems work, you won’t know what to do with what you’ve been given.

It might look polished, but it won’t make sense unless you know how the pieces should fit. And honestly, if you don’t, your teammates won’t either!

Once you’ve gotten the basics, though, AI becomes a real asset. It can give you speed, but it can’t give you structure or logic. I use it to accelerate documentation, generate naming conventions, and quickly spin up repeatable patterns. But only because I already know what I’m looking for.

No such thing as perfect

You don’t need to build a masterpiece on day one. You can’t. So focus on the core components first, the ones you know you’ll need and let the rest grow with you.

A good system evolves. It should feel flexible enough to shift when your product shifts, and strong enough to hold shape when everything else feels messy. You’ll come back to it. You’ll refine it. And this may sound cliche, but the only way to get there is by starting.

The system is the solution
-AT&T Bell System

Because systems aren’t meant to live in a vacuum. They’re meant to be shared. So if you’re building one alone, don’t worry about perfection. Worry about meaning. Worry about clarity.