DESIGN SYSTEMS / 05 MIN
Systems can have personality.
Consistency should protect an idea, not flatten it.
Rules make room for expression.
A useful design system describes the decisions that matter: how typography creates hierarchy, where colour carries meaning and how spacing gives content its rhythm. It does not need to prescribe every composition in advance.
Build the smallest useful set.
Start with the patterns the work actually repeats. Give them clear names, document their purpose and test them with real content. A smaller system with a strong point of view is easier to maintain than a library of exceptions.