Considering the collaboration of large teams and the use of multiple platforms and different designs in the management of the organization’s projects, it is not surprising that companies are looking for a resource to better advance their work. Changing different documents for a problem is the beginning of different challenges for the organization and this is where the organizational design system proves its application. This system is the key to maintain and integrate the experience and design of the user interface and leads to changes in the process of doing work and further innovation.
Are organization design systems easy to own and use? The answer to this question is no.
But the application and optimization in the process of doing things that happens after the documentation of such a system is definitely worth it. Organizational design systems give development teams more decision-making power and choose the right solution for existing challenges.
In this article, we have gone to a concept called organizational design system. It is a big concept that we must first understand what it is and then act to build it, because this is the only way to integrate enterprise design management.
Table of Contents
What is an organizational design system?
Before we discuss why and how to use the organizational armor system, it is better to understand what it is? So it is better to answer this question first: What is an organizational design system and what exactly is it used for?
Simply put, an enterprise design system consists of best practices, reusable design elements, processes, design selection guidelines, and patterns. This system helps businesses create a consistent and efficient design and development process. Considering that organizations need to constantly review and measure their growth compared to before, an organizational design system helps design and development teams do this better and using a clear reference.
In fact, the scale meter of your organization is this comprehensive design system. From redesigning products and service methods to changing processes and creating a new product, the organizational design system makes integrated results emerge from decisions.
For a better understanding, let’s compare the organizational design system to a Lego box. In the first step, you have blocks or bricks that you can put together to create a new and unique design.
In fact, small Legos are the designs implemented with code that are saved in parts and their selection and development is based on the goals and character of the brand. Almost like the brand DNA of the organization.
Programmers and designers can use these blocks to change or develop the services and products of the organization. This saves time and increases the speed of decision-making, because almost half of the process of designing and manufacturing the components of the product has already been done.
Inside the Lego boxes, there are manuals or instructions to achieve the result. This also applies to organizational design systems. In any documented document for this, there should be instructions or side explanations along with different parts of the system. A set of instructions written according to the goals of the organization’s brand to increase the reliability factor for producing a product integrated with the goals and other products of the organization. These descriptions are actually written to help developers understand exactly what they are building.
Advantages of organizational design system
Well, now that we understand what the organizational design system is, it’s time to find out about its benefits. Is spending time documenting such a plan useful for the organization or not?
Organizational design systems have many advantages and disadvantages, but according to the results seen in different organizations, its advantages really outweigh its disadvantages.
Stability in decisions and integrity
As mentioned in the previous paragraphs, the most important advantage of the organizational design system is the integration of decisions in the design and development teams; especially if the brand and organization has several design teams. The organizational design system is like the musical notes of an orchestra, which several teams must perform together, harmonizing the sound and text of their performance.
The use of this topic is determined when the product, regardless of the brand’s goals or its symbols, is not compatible with other products or its other parts. In large organizations that have several development and design teams, such an event is very natural and must be resolved before it happens.
Faster design and development
In the fast-paced business world, it is productivity or process optimization that is of great importance. This is why the organizational design system can speed up the design and development of the organization’s products. Let me explain more with an example.
Organizational design systems consist of component libraries, brand guides, components, and partial designs. Having such a resource will surely increase the speed of decision-making or finding resources of the organization. In fact, half of the way to make a product is done by documenting this system, and the rest of the way is to put together the Legos that have new instructions.
This is not the whole story. The design system also increases the speed of team collaboration. When several design and development teams use the same resource for their work, it is natural that their minds are closer together and the result of the work is more coordinated than before. Otherwise, half of people’s energy and time should be spent on coordination meetings between teams.
More innovation
As mentioned, the more savings in component design and team coordination, the more time there is to innovate and choose a solution to a challenge. Suppose that your organization intends to change its business brand. In such a case, when a resource with a perspective has regularly stored constituent parts such as colors and effective components, etc.; Deciding on such a change is better and more innovative.
Reduction in costs
You must have heard this proverb; time is money. By saving time in the design and development process, business costs are reduced. An enterprise design system enables teams to get things right the first time, so the business spends less time redoing work or fixing problems.
Product development in global management
Imagine you manage a large global brand with multiple websites. With presence in multiple local markets and a global workforce, how do you keep ux design consistent? The answer is that without an enterprise design system, you probably can’t.
Each team works with different agencies, different brand guides, and maybe multiple component libraries. The result of such a brand is many incompatible and inconsistent products that only hurt the brand and the user experience.
Organizational design system aligns a brand globally. This is especially useful when your business requires global updates across multiple domains. Changes in typography or user interface elements with an enterprise design system can be updated globally overnight.
A clear example of such a system is the USWDS. This tool was created to unify the user interface across all US government websites into a cohesive visual design.
What are the methods of creating an organizational design system?
Implementing an organizational design system becomes easy when you master the methods of creating it. In this section, I have written about this issue. We’ve come up with some golden nuggets that will make your workflow easier for setting up a design system in your business.
Document naming rules
Suppose you are implementing an enterprise design system. Excited to create basic system design and design teams are uploading various design files. Everything is ready until you realize that you forgot one crucial step: the naming convention in the enterprise design system.
Naming is very important. Without a logical naming system, things get messy very quickly. On the other hand, naming conventions enable better design collaboration and implementation. What would a system design file look like if you ignore naming conventions? Like the folders created on the desktop that do not have a name.
Note that in the organizational design system document, files are stored in layers from small to large. Now imagine that these layers do not have clear and precise names. Hours of time are wasted searching for a file.
Now the question is, what names should we use to make system design layers?
The answer to this question is simple. No need to reinvent the wheel. The design and technical development team of the organization must reach a common language for naming the different departments. Technical or specialized terms used by professionals are the best way to name. I suggest that you proceed with this step with the direct participation of specialists and designers.
Use tools for greater collaboration
There are different platforms that multiple users can be active on at the same time. A clear and famous example of these platforms is figma. Figma increases the cooperation of designers in fixing or changing designs. In fact, the collaboration of forces is the organization’s secret and effective weapon for building an organizational design system, so welcome any method, tool, or platform that helps with this.
Considering the future in building an organizational design system
Build the design system with strong foundations for the future. Think of building and documenting an organizational design system like building a house. The stronger the foundation and foundation of a house, the higher the possibility of building a house with many floors.
What makes the foundation of your organizational design system strong is the participation of powerful and expert forces. To document the organizational design system, try to encourage the expert people of your organization to participate in ideation and feedback.
Using the design of ready systems
Now is the time to decide whether your organization needs a precise and unique organizational design system or not? The answer to this question depends on the capability and extent of your organization and brand. It is natural that small organizations do not need a complete organizational design system.
Such organizations can use organizational design systems published by large companies such as Google or IBM. Organizational design systems published by these companies give you a clear roadmap for design development.