Design Systems: AXS - Learning From Four Failed Attempts
The Challenge:
I inherited four previous attempts that had all failed. The latest was closest to success, but old beliefs about how design systems should be built (designed by designers, then built by individual squads; or focused on one product area at a time) were holding the team back.
What I Did:
Learned from the past:
I met with designers and engineers involved in previous attempts, discussed and reviewed their libraries, and understood exactly why each failed.
Design Systems typically fail at three inflection points: Failure to Finish; Failure to be Implemented; Failure to Maintain and Evolve.
Made the case to executives:
I presented why past attempts failed, identified what was closest to working, and proposed the path forward with the right structure (dedicated cross-functional team, proper governance, engineering partnership from day one).
Changed beliefs:
The hardest part wasn't technical - it was shifting how people thought about building design systems. This involved a number of group presentations, Q&A Slack channels, and individual one-on-one conversations.
When I know something is important, I’ll spend as much time as necessary to help partners understand it and answer their questions.
Implementation Strategy:
We developed an implementation strategy early which helps stakeholders understand how it effects their work and roadmaps. It’s critical part of setting the design system up to succeed.
Steady Growth:
We set up an intake process to review and approve new component requests. The team evaluates new requests against existing components, and if a new component is truly needed, the work is prioritized. This lets the component library grow without becoming bloated.
Timeline:
About 6 months from kickoff to efficiency gains.
Results:
20% design efficiency improvement
30% engineering efficiency improvement
A design system that's maintained and evolving, not abandoned
Read about my other Design System projects: