Championing an Internal Design System
GOAL
To strengthen the company’s brand and create a cohesive customer experience across all corporate products.
SOLUTION
A design system that incorporated a style guide, accessible to vendors and internal designers/developers/stakeholders. After 9 years, I was able to influence my company to incorporate a digital style guide. I left before a design system was implemented.
PAGE CONTENTS
0.1
Assessment & Audit
Internal Design System
Upon arrival at a new company, I quickly noticed corporate goals were being missed and users were unhappy. Additionally, I noticed users were getting lost or taking the most obvious path (to the information) even if it meant more click-thrus.
I created a presentation of diagrammed data compiling mapped current user flows (Google analytics and user interview feedback) with an inventory/analysis of current website information architecture.
The presentation also included the visually inconsistent use of color, size, treatment, and placement of our brand’s logo or elements (i.e. buttons).
I demonstrated the the need for streamlined information architecture (which my team had an opportunity to address here) and consistent branding and functionality across the digital landscape through a presentation to stakeholders. The presentation highlighted the weaknesses and deficiencies of our brand presence.
0.2
The Proposal
Internal Design System
Data alone doesn’t produce solutions, or tell you when your solutions are successful. I wanted to gain further insight from donors regarding their various pain points and motivation. In a two page document, I outlined my proposal for how the company could collect feedback data from our users. Here’s an excerpt of my proposal:
Methodology
When a donor calls regarding any of our digital products, the Donor Ministries representative will incorporate the specified data points into their conversation. The Donor Ministries rep will then record the results. This record, containing their findings, observations and any additional information offered by the donor, will be compiled and sorted in a tbd manner.
Participants
These are the primary characteristics to collect (most of which can be discovered by organic conversation with donor): Business user, Age range of user, Level of experience with our website/ frequency of use, Dept. or Project expressed interest in, Familiarity with the Web in general.
Schedule
Data collection: begins on January 10 and includes any backdated data available
Results delivery: Every six weeks
Results discussion: 1.5 hour meeting with Communications Department
0.3
Prototype Pitch
Internal Design System
Although most designers know what a design system is, most other people do not. Instead of asking my leadership to conceptualize a design system for our company, I built them one. My design system prototype highlighted a theoretical component library for one of the companies under the corporate umbrella.
The prototype helped to demonstrate the application and usefulness of a design system for my team as we sought to streamline the brand across digital assets.
0.4
Coming to Life
Internal Design System
The final style guide, built for internal and external users, took in to consideration the environment where it would most often be used. That means creating a mobile-friendly guide was not a priority, or even a use-case. This guide was designed for mostly internal company folk who need to reference the style guide when designing an asset, whether they are in the office, traveling to one of the company’s international offices, or while working at home. I took a forward thinking approach and designed it so that it could be turned into a design system sometime in the future, when the company was ready 🙂
