Scalable Atomic Design System for MSA Inc.
To address MSA’s challenges, I developed an atomic design system based on Brad Frost’s principles. This modular system streamlined design processes, fostered collaboration, and enhanced scalability for evolving needs.
Problem Statement
MSA Inc. required a comprehensive design system to ensure consistency, scalability, and efficiency across its digital platforms. Challenges included:
- Inconsistent Design Language: Disparate visual styles and components created a fragmented user experience.
- Inefficient Collaboration: Development and design teams lacked a unified source of truth, slowing down project timelines.
- Limited Scalability: Existing designs struggled to adapt to new features or platforms.
Solution Overview
Atoms
- Defined foundational elements: Typography, colors, buttons, and input fields.
- Typography: Used Open Sans for all headings and body text, with clear size and weight variations (e.g., text/heading-01, text/body-01).
- Colors: Established a palette of brand, neutral, utility, and text colors for visual consistency.
Molecules
- Combined atoms into reusable components: Dropdown menus, checkboxes, and radio buttons.
- Examples:
- Dropdowns with focused, active, and disabled states.
- Buttons in primary, secondary, and disabled variations.
Organisms
- Assembled molecules into functional sections: Navigation bars, pagination systems, and banners.
- Integrated breadcrumbs, steppers, and progress indicators to enhance usability.
Templates
- Created layouts: Incorporated organisms to maintain structure while accommodating flexibility.
Pages
- Delivered final, user-facing designs: Showcased the full design system in action.
Implementation and Collaboration
- Collaboration: Collaborated with designers and developers to align on standards and implementation guidelines.
- Documentation: Documented use cases, spacing guidelines, and component states for clarity.
- Workshops: Conducted workshops to onboard teams and ensure adoption.
The Results
Visual Idea:
- Timeline Graphic: A timeline graphic showing the progression from discovery to implementation.
- Before and After Examples: Side-by-side examples of "Before and After" interfaces.
- Improved Efficiency: Reduced design-developer handoff time by 30% with clear guidelines.
- Consistency Across Platforms: Unified design language enhanced brand identity and user experience.
- Scalability: Enabled rapid development of new features with reusable components.
