Definition
Design System
A central system of record for all building blocks of a digital product — 'a well-organized bucket of Lego bricks' containing every component, variant, rule, and constraint. More than a component library: a design system encodes the rules governing how elements connect, making it the substrate for consistent product experiences and enterprise-appropriate AI generation. Without a structured design system providing context, AI-generated UI is a prototype tool; with one, it becomes a production capability.
From the episode “Stop Designing Screens, Start Designing Patterns”Hear it on the podcast1 episode
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Related terms in Product & Engineering
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