Design System Process Map

A comprehensive guide to the three-phase design system process

To visualize the process behind delivering the core value of a design system: reusable decisions. These decisions can take the form of components, tokens, assets, patterns, or how-to guides—tools that help product teams move faster with confidence.

Every reusable decision flows through a repeatable system of work, composed of three major phases:

Inventory: Understand what exists and what’s needed
Loops: Craft and refine discipline-specific solutions
Rollout: Unite, release, and drive adoption

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1. Inventory Phase (Intake + Planning)

This is where the process begins.

Goal: Capture and evaluate everything that exists or is needed as reusable decision

Includes:

Inventory: Catalog existing components, tokens, content, and patterns
Intake: Collect new requests, ideas, and requirements from teams
Research: Identify product needs, user pain points, and business opportunities
Analyze: Identify gaps, overlaps, and categorize potential decisions
Prioritize: Plan implementation based on value, effort, and dependencies

Outcome: Clear, prioritized list of reusable decisions to be designed or refined.

2. Discipline-Specific Loops (Design / Code / Content / Accessibility)

Each prioritized item moves through a loop driven by the relevant discipline.

Goal: Create or update the reusable decision within a domain.

Typical stages (can loop iteratively):

Initiate: Kickoff work within the team
Build: Design, code, or write content
Test: Gather early feedback and validate solutions with intended users
Document: Answer key usage questions and explain decisions behind reusable solution
Distribute: Push to design libraries, code repos, documentation portals

Outcome: A ready, documented, and accessible deliverable within one discipline.

3. Rollout Phase (Cross-Disciplinary Alignment & Enablement)

This phase is often led by design system owners or PMs, who coordinate the rollout and adoption process to unify discipline-specific work into reusable solution that teams can readily adopt

Goal: Create organizational trust and drive adoption across all product teams.

Includes:

Align: Connect discipline-specific solutions into a unified cross-functional asset
Package: Version, document changes, and prepare release notes for consumption
Distribute: Plan strategic rollout, communicate changes, and build awareness
Enable: Provide onboarding resources, demonstrations, and implementation support
Learn: Measure adoption, gather feedback, and identify improvement areas for the next iteration

Outcome: A distributed and adopted reusable decision connecting all discipline perspectives

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