Design system work,
without the AI part.
This site is about running AI agents on design work. My other site, The Design System Guide, covers the system underneath: tokens, metrics, audits and governance. These are the pages I send people to most.
Starting a design system
For teams setting one up, or rebooting one that stalled.
- GuideWhere to startThe first steps for a new design system.
- GuideBuild a design systemThe full path from foundations to documentation, with AI-generated components and AI literacy.
- GuideThe design system playbookKey questions to start and improve a design system.
- TemplateDesign system research interview questionsThe questions to ask users and stakeholders in design system discovery.
- GuideThe go-to guide for product design teamsDriving growth through strategic design integration.
Design tokens
Naming, structure and moving tokens between Figma and code.
- GuideWhat are design tokens?Token levels, naming structure and the integration process.
- ToolDesign tokens naming playbookAn interactive guide and playground for naming and organizing tokens.
- Q&ANaming design tokensHow to choose a naming convention and keep it consistent.
- Q&AToken naming in line with TailwindA token naming structure that maps cleanly to Tailwind.
- Q&AExport Figma variables to JSONGetting variables and tokens out of Figma as JSON.
- Q&AFigma variables for single vs multi-brand themesHow to set up variable collections and modes for one brand or many.
- Course · paidThe ultimate design tokens courseStructure, manage and scale design tokens.
Metrics and the business case
For proving the system is worth the money.
Audits and inventory
For knowing what you already have before you change it.
Governance and operations
For running the system once people depend on it.
- Q&ABest practices for governanceWho decides what, and how changes get approved.
- Q&AHandling contributions and changesA contribution process that teams actually follow.
- Q&APrioritizing work for a design systemDeciding what the system team builds next.
- Q&AGathering and managing feedbackCollecting feedback from product teams and acting on it.
- Q&AManaging multi-brand design systemsOne system serving several brands.
Figma practice
For keeping the design side of the system clean.
- Q&AOrganizing Figma filesA file and page structure for design system libraries.
- TemplateChecklists for new Figma componentsWhat to check before a component goes into the library.
- Q&ATop Figma plugins for managing a design systemPlugins for auditing, tokens and documentation.
- Q&ALinting tools for FigmaTools that catch detached styles and naming problems.
Design systems and AI
Where the two sites overlap.
- Q&AAI user interface guidelinesGuidelines for designing AI features in a product.
- ArticleAI UX patterns for design systems, part 1Interaction patterns for AI features, from a design system angle.
- ArticleAI UX patterns for design systems, part 2The second set of AI interaction patterns.
- ArticleHow to automate design system documentationGenerating and maintaining documentation with AI.
- ArticleHow to build patterns from your design system components with AIAssembling larger patterns from existing components.
- ArticleThe ultimate AI component generation frameworkA framework for generating components that follow the system.
- Course · paidAgentic design systems courseBuild validators, automate workflows and ship design system tools with AI. No coding experience required. Waitlist.
Reference and directories
For looking things up.
- CollectionThe list of public design systemsPublic design systems and documentation platforms.
- CollectionDesign system toolkitTemplates, resources and useful articles for a design system.
- ArticleDesign systems tool stackThe tools teams use across design, code and documentation.
- Q&ADesign system glossaryDesign system terms, defined.
- CollectionDesign system knowledge baseAnswers to 45 common design system questions.
- CollectionDesign System Masters interviews31 interviews with design system practitioners.
- CollectionBookmarksCurated design system links.
Need help with your own system?
I'm a freelance (fractional) design system lead. I consult companies like Lebara, Bosch, Siemens Energy and TÜV SÜD, among others. If you'd rather have me work on your system, this is what I take on.
(Interim) product design lead
Leading a design or design system function, aligning product, engineering and design, driving adoption.
Setting up a design system
Foundations (principles, tokens, variables), strategy, metrics, and mentoring the system team.
Design strategy
Strategic initiatives, product alignment, and scaling design processes.
Coaching and workshops
Figma libraries, tokens and theming, design and engineering handoff, and AI in design system workflows.