Are your organisation’s digital products consistent, efficient and compliant? Many design and technology teams in large organisations face challenges in maintaining design consistency and accelerating solution delivery. A design system could be the answer to these problems – not only streamlining processes, but also ensuring compliance with regulations such as the European Accessibility Act. Discover how implementing a design system can optimise your organisation’s processes and deliver measurable business benefits.
What is a design system?
A design system is a collection of standardised components, guidelines and tools that help design and technology teams create consistent, accessible and efficient digital products. By using a design system, organisations can ensure a consistent aesthetic, easier collaboration between departments, and better compliance with evolving regulatory requirements such as WCAG. A design system includes not only visual elements, but also guidelines for user interaction and tone of communication.
Read more about the design system in the article “What is a design system?
Business challenges of implementing a design system
Implementing a design system in a large organisation presents a number of challenges that can hinder a smooth roll-out. A common problem is that stakeholders do not fully understand the value of the system – some may not see how a design system improves brand consistency, reduces costs or ensures regulatory compliance. It is vital to raise awareness within the organisation through regular workshops and presentations for departments such as IT, marketing and design.
For example, Atlassian, known for tools such as Jira, faced similar difficulties in the early stages of implementing its design system. Initially, teams were not fully convinced of the value of the new approach. However, a series of workshops and the presentation of concrete data (such as a 50% reduction in design time) changed their perspective. As a result, the team not only delivered projects faster, but also achieved greater visual consistency across different products.
Another challenge is integrating the design system with existing processes. For teams used to working in a certain way, these changes can be perceived as an additional burden. It’s often beneficial to implement the system gradually, starting with smaller projects that allow teams to familiarise themselves with new tools and guidelines. Atlassian’s implementation process started with a few key products and only rolled out the design system across the organisation once they were successful.
For a design system to work effectively, it’s vital that all departments are involved. If implementation remains in the hands of one team, its potential will not be fully realised. A good example is IBM, which successfully implemented its Carbon Design System by involving not only development teams, but also marketing and product teams, resulting in increased efficiency and reduced errors.
How to use a design system to maximise value and ROI
Set clear goals
For a design system to deliver maximum value, organisations need to define the business objectives they want to achieve through its implementation. These goals may include reducing time to market, improving the user experience, reducing interface errors, and ensuring compliance with regulations such as WCAG. Involving all stakeholders in the goal-setting process is key to ensuring that the design system is understood and accepted by all departments, from IT to marketing.
An example of an organisation that has succeeded by setting precise goals is Spotify. The company wanted to improve visual and functional consistency across multiple platforms. By implementing its design system, Spotify created standardised components that allowed teams to make changes faster and maintain a consistent user experience. This not only increased design efficiency, but also fostered better collaboration between teams and enabled faster adaptation to market changes.
Mierzenie sukcesu
Implementing a design system is just the first step, but its true value becomes apparent when you can monitor its impact. Organisations should establish measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the effectiveness of the system. These could include metrics such as project cycle time, number of interface errors or user satisfaction. Collecting and analysing data on a regular basis is critical to adjusting and continually improving the system’s implementation strategy.
IBM has successfully implemented its Carbon Design System, which has significantly improved developer productivity. By setting clear KPIs, IBM was able to track progress and system efficiency, ultimately achieving a 30% increase in productivity. This demonstrates the importance of consistently monitoring the results of design system implementation and adjusting strategies based on real data.
Regular updates and maintenance
A design system is not a one-off project – it is a ‘living organism’ that requires regular updates to adapt to changing market demands, technologies and regulations. Organisations that continuously monitor the needs of their teams and users can keep their design system at the highest level, ensuring visual and functional consistency across products.
Shopify, known for its e-commerce platform, implemented the Polaris Design System, which not only accelerated the interface creation process, but also ensured consistency across different platforms. With regular updates, Shopify was able to dynamically adapt its products to meet changing user expectations. As a result, the company achieved 95% interface consistency, significantly improving the customer experience and maintaining high standards.
Scalability and compliance
For large organisations, a design system must be designed to grow with the needs of the business. It’s vital that the system is flexible enough to integrate with different platforms and teams. Scalability is not only a technical issue, but also involves compliance with regulations such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which are becoming increasingly important in light of the European Accessibility Act.
The BBC‘s Global Experience Language (GEL) is an example of how a well-designed design system can facilitate accessibility compliance on a large scale. As an organisation delivering digital content to millions of users, the BBC needed to create a system that would ensure visual consistency, ease of design iteration and compliance with WCAG guidelines. By implementing GEL, the BBC was able to quickly adapt to regulatory and technological changes while improving the user experience for both able-bodied and disabled users. This enabled the BBC to meet the requirements of the European Accessibility Act across all its platforms.
Implementing a design system across an organisation brings many benefits beyond the visual consistency of digital products. By standardising components and processes, teams can work faster and more efficiently, resulting in faster time to market for new features and fewer errors. Atlassian, for example, has reduced the time it takes to design new interfaces by 50% with its design system, allowing teams to implement changes more quickly using standardised components.
The examples of IBM’s 30% increase in developer productivity and Shopify’s Polaris, which increased interface consistency to 95%, show that a well-implemented design system not only streamlines workflows, but also increases business value and competitiveness.
To learn more about how such an approach can improve processes, increase productivity and improve the quality of user experiences, read “10 Key Benefits of Having a Design System”.
Design systems and compliance with WCAG and EAA
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) aims to ensure that products and services available in the European Union are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. While accessibility for people with disabilities is often emphasised, the EAA has a broader scope, including older people and people with temporary limitations, in line with the principle of universal design. The aim is to create digital environments that are intuitive and user-friendly for everyone, regardless of ability.
A key element of the EAA is its close alignment with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which provide detailed guidelines for making websites and digital products accessible. These guidelines are based on the principles of perceivability, operability, understandability and robustness (POUR). This means that content must be accessible and easy to navigate for all users, including those who rely on assistive technologies.
Design systems play a crucial role in ensuring compliance with these guidelines. When developing design systems, there is a strong focus on standardising and testing components. As a result, every part of the system – from interfaces to navigation – is designed to meet accessibility standards. Standardising components makes it easier for organisations to maintain consistency across different digital platforms and ensure long-term compliance with regulations such as the EAA.
More about digital accessibility requirements:
Report: Website Accessibility Analysis
Want to see what a comprehensive accessibility audit looks like? Check out a sample audit report of a web platform and learn what to focus on to ensure your site complies with WCAG and is accessible to all users.
Summary: Design System ROI
Implementing a design system is a strategic step that can bring significant business benefits to an organisation. To achieve full success, it is essential that all stakeholders understand the value of the design system, that it integrates smoothly with existing processes and that teams from different departments are actively involved. In addition, it is vital that success is measured regularly using appropriate metrics, so that it can be continually adapted to meet changing user needs.
A design system not only simplifies the creation of digital products (websites, applications, etc.), but also enables organisations to ensure compliance with accessibility regulations such as WCAG. By standardising and regularly updating components, organisations can deliver products that are accessible to all users, increasing their reach and improving customer satisfaction. In this way, a design system becomes the foundation for efficiency, compliance and long-term competitiveness.
Implementing a design system – where to start?
To realise the full potential of a design system, it’s important to approach its implementation in a systematic and thoughtful way.Here are the key steps that will help your organisation achieve success:
Audit
Carry out an audit of your existing digital products.This will help identify areas for improvement and provide a solid plan for implementing the design system.
Implement
Start by focusing on the components that are critical to accessibility. Prioritising interface elements that have a direct impact on accessibility will allow you to bring your products into compliance quickly and effectively.
Monitoring and updating
Regularly monitor product compliance with applicable regulations and accessibility standards. Ensure that the design system is continually updated to reflect new guidelines and technological changes, enabling your organisation to maintain long-term compliance and high quality websites or applications.
Team training
Organise training sessions on the design system and how to use it. This not only builds knowledge, but also encourages team involvement in implementing and maintaining the system.
Data Sources:
- Allyant – Understanding the European Accessibility Act – Overview of EAA requirements, link to WCAG and implications for businesses operating in European markets: Allyant
- Userway – European Accessibility Act 2025 – Detailed discussion of the scope of the EAA, including accessibility guidelines for different industries and types of digital products: UserWay
- Accessible.org – European Accessibility Act – Description of WCAG and guidelines for compliance with the EAA: Accessible.org
- Includia – European Accessibility Act 2025: Everything you need to know – Comprehensive explanation of the objectives and principles of the EAA, including the importance of WCAG in its implementation: Includia
- Accessibly – European Accessibility Act Requirements Checklist – Overview of the key steps organisations need to take to meet the requirements of the EAA, including information on WCAG: Accessibly
- Atlassian Design System – Information on the implementation of the Atlassian Design System, which has resulted in increased design efficiency: Atlassian Design System
- Spotify Engineering Culture – Digital Transformation & Industry 4.0 – Digital Transformation & Industry 4.0: Detailed account of Spotify’s approach to adopting agile methodologies and design systems to improve team design and management: Spotify Engineering Culture – Scaling Agile Case Study
- IBM Carbon Design System – About the 30% increase in developer productivity after implementing the Carbon Design System: IBM Carbon Design System
- Shopify Polaris Design System – On implementing the Polaris Design System and achieving 95% interface consistency: Shopify Polaris
- BBC Global Experience Language (GEL) – Information about the GEL system and its focus on accessibility: BBC GEL Technical Documentation, BBC GitHub
Authors
Michał Łukawski
IT Client Partner
He served as Managing Director of SYZYGY Warsaw and later became a member of the team transforming the organization into a teal structure. With 16 years of experience in IT, he has been helping to create and develop digital products for corporate clients. He combines a deep understanding of business needs with building lasting relationships. A proponent of agile methodologies, he focuses on rapidly bringing products to market and continuously enhancing their value. He believes in a partnership approach based on transparency and shared responsibility, supporting organizations in effective change and team development.
Małgorzata Dolińska-Amrozik
Product Designer
An architect by education who transitioned her career towards graphic design and UX design. She has over 7 years of experience working on projects that bridge business goals with user needs. At SYZYGY Warsaw, she is responsible for designing an aviation application for the Lufthansa Group. Her specialty is Data-Driven Design and improving user experiences based on data. She values agility, a collaborative workshop approach, and making bold design decisions.
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