Project Detail

Northstar Design System

A cross-product design system effort that aligned engineering and design around shared components, states, and usage conventions.

live portfolio 2024 Shared component library

Problem

What this project is solving.

Teams were shipping with inconsistent spacing, states, and interaction patterns, which made product quality uneven and slowed implementation.

Solution

The system standardized tokens, components, and guidance so designers and engineers could move faster without sacrificing consistency.

Tech Decisions

Defined state patterns and accessibility behavior alongside component visuals instead of treating them as separate concerns.

Used Storybook and usage notes to make adoption easier across teams with different product needs.

Balanced strict primitives with enough flexibility for product-specific adaptations.

Media Gallery

screenshot asset planned

screenshot

Buttons, fields, cards, and navigation patterns used across multiple product areas.

diagram asset planned

diagram

Usage and accessibility guidance for teams adopting the shared component library.

Lessons Learned

Design systems succeed when they solve shipping problems, not when they become abstract libraries.

Documentation and naming often matter as much as visual precision.

Adoption improves when teams can see how the system saves time in real product work.

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