Design system
Design system
Embedded Files
Project overview
Project overview
My role
My role
Content Design
UX Writer
The challenge
The challenge
There was no centralized source of truth for product language and no process to maintain consistency across Product, Design, and Development teams.
We needed a quick, accessible guideline to get everyone on the same page, but I knew if I handed the team a massive, rigid document, they wouldn't read it. I needed to find a way to make it work for them.
(Generalized to protect proprietary data.)
My approach
My approach
Set up a design knowledge base
Set up a design knowledge base
Using a docs-as-code system, I built a content design knowledge base using Markdown, GitBook, and GitHub.
This allowed for seamless collaboration and easy, centralized access across the team.
Built a shared language
Built a shared language
To create alignment across teams, I started by building a shared language. This foundational step established a trusted, consistent vocabulary that everyone could reference.
Identified common phrasing and terminology inconsistencies.
Audited the product and clearly defined terms.
Created a centralized, quick-reference glossary.
Built a style guide
Built a style guide
I created a product style guide focused on high-impact rules and reusable content patterns, making the guidelines easy to reference. This allowed me to address the biggest inconsistencies while gaining wider team buy-in.
Impact & takeaways
Impact & takeaways
Unified language: Teams across the company finally started using the same product terminology.
Better design sessions: Reviews became less contentious because decisions were based on a shared reference rather than opinions.
Built to scale: Led a content-first framework that is lightweight and easy to update as the product grows.
Content design inclusion: The success of the guide shifted our process, and I was brought into design discussions earlier.
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