Design System

A design system is the big-picture framework that ties visual elements of your site together: brand identity, design language, rules, and reusable patterns. It is the source of truth for how things should look and behave across your whole site.

It is broader than a pattern library, which catalogs the actual UI pieces. The design system also covers the reasoning, like color meaning, voice, and spacing principles. When it is maintained, designers and developers stop reinventing the wheel and the site stays consistent as it grows.