LearnDesign System InsightsSwitch toFullFixedMarkdown Documentation StrategyWhy MD/MDX format is the universal language for design system documentationCore Insight: Document your design system in MD or MDX format for universal compatibility and future-proofing Copy linkWhen to Apply Documentation setup phase → Setting up new documentation sitesCMS migration project → Moving away from proprietary toolsAI integration planning → Preparing for AI-assisted workflows Copy linkWhy This Works ✓ Universal compatibility - Indeed tried 3 CMSs, always returned to markdown✓ AI-ready - Kristen (Intuit): "Helps feed our LLMs and leverage AI"✓ Version control - Dustin (Indeed): "Plain text, version control very easily"✓ No vendor lock-in - "Try opening a Sketch file 5 years later. Good luck."✓ Single source of truth - Same content works across multiple platforms and tools Copy linkAlternative Approaches Zeroheight - Teams love the visual editor → Becomes stale, hard to update across surfacesNotion - Easy for non-technical contributors → No version control, limited customizationCustom CMS - Full control over experience → "Maintenance burden is pretty immense" Copy linkQuick Example button-component.mdxCopy codeCopy code# Button Component <ComponentDemo component="Button" /> ## Usage - Use `variant="primary"` for main actions- Use `size="large"` for hero sections Copy linkRelated Insights Interactive Documentation Strategies - Adding interactivity to markdown documentationAI-Ready Documentation - Optimizing docs for AI consumptionComponent Tagging Strategies - Tracking components in production Copy linkSession Highlights Markdown as Universal Language - Real experiences from Indeed and Intuit teams returning to markdown after trying multiple CMSs Sources: Documentation Craft Session • Dec 2024
Markdown Documentation Strategy
Core Insight: Document your design system in MD or MDX format for universal compatibility and future-proofing
Sources: Documentation Craft Session • Dec 2024