The Conformity Conundrum: Breaking Free from Design System Constraints
The Rise of Design Systems: A Double-Edged Sword
This week’s newsletter is from Tim Drabandt. Tim is a Creative Director in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he leads, manages, and collaborates with teams of designers, developers, strategists, and product owners to help people lead more fulfilling lives.
The Rise of Design Systems: A Double-Edged Sword
In the ever-evolving world of digital design, we’ve witnessed a significant shift towards the adoption of design systems. These structured frameworks bring consistency and efficiency to the design process, streamlining workflows and ensuring cohesive user experiences across platforms. However, as we embrace these systems, we’re faced with an unintended challenge: the conformity of design.
Design systems, while solving many problems, have inadvertently created a new one. The push for reusable components and standardized patterns has resulted in a landscape where brands and products increasingly look and feel the same. As Lara Mendonça aptly puts it, “Unfortunately, conforming can be the key to success in tech.” This conformity, while efficient, threatens to stifle creativity and uniqueness in digital experiences.
