Why Design Systems are a Game Changer for App Development
Building a mobile app or web app can be expensive and time-consuming. Not only is it resource-intensive, but it can also be very risky. And when you do get it built, how can you be sure that it will scale? It’s hard work, but starting with a design system can help you decrease your costs and risks, while also making sure your product is highly scalable.
What is a Design System?
Nielsen Norman defines a design system as “a complete set of standards intended to manage design at scale using reusable components and patterns.” Basically, it’s an artifact that reflects the design standards for your app, so that everyone working on it knows how it should look and why it should look that way. It keeps everyone moving in the same direction and building the same thing. When anyone working on your app builds something, they build it with your design standards in mind. No one has to guess, and the app becomes more cohesive as a result.
A good design system is great to have in the beginning stages of development, because it can be used for the entire lifecycle of product creation: from the earliest idea stage all the way through development and implementation. It’s also not just for designers: they’re used by everyone working on the product, especially developers.
How do you know if your product needs a Design System?
Any product would benefit from a design system. But there are some signs that can point to an even greater need:
- Does the development team spend a lot of time rebuilding the same components like lists, forms, drop-downs, and modals? Are they re-building each one from scratch every time they create something new?
- Does your app have lots of different versions of the same thing? For example: Some buttons are rounded, some are square, and they’re all different colors. There are tons of different shading styles and font styles. Every page or screen looks a little different.
- Does your app not have a consistent look and feel?
- Does the app always look different from the original designs when it’s coded?
- Does everyone on your team have a different idea about how the app should look?
How Design Systems Benefit the Bottom Line
One of the most immediate benefits of having a solid design system in place is that they help you save time on development, which means that you’re also saving money and shipping faster. One study showed an estimated $1.5M+ in annual savings or 21.25% annual time saved by using a design system.
With a design system in place, developers don’t need to re-build every component from scratch: they have a shortcut to creating each one quickly. This also means that they spend less time on re-work, so the team can get back to building and innovating. At LunarLab, we like to use developer-friendly tools like Figma to help the work go even faster.
Design systems also create visual consistency across the entire product, which means that users have a cohesive experience when they use your app. When they try to do something, it does exactly what they expect it to do. These small interactions build trust in your app, which leads to higher user retention. Building an experience that users feel comfortable and confident with can be a key differentiator from your competitors.
Finally, design systems make your product highly scalable. You won’t be able to scale quickly if everyone needs to start from scratch every time, and your growing team doesn’t agree on the visual direction fo the product. Apple, Google, Airbnb, IBM: the biggest brands you know use design systems to stay efficient and effective. And with the increasingly popularity of design systems, your competitors are likely using them as well.
Almost every web app or mobile app design we create at LunarLab begins with expertly created design system that’s built with developers in mind. Contact us to find out how to get one for your app!
