Lesson 9 of 12Article14 min
Libraries & Design Systems
Publish components and styles as a library. Other files enable that library and pull updates. Product teams keep one Foundations file (colors, type, buttons) and many feature files.
01Team libraries
Publish components and styles as a library. Other files enable that library and pull updates. Product teams keep one Foundations file (colors, type, buttons) and many feature files.
02What belongs in a starter design system
- Color and type styles / variables
- Spacing and radius tokens
- Buttons, inputs, checkboxes, toggles
- Cards, navbars, tabs, modals
- Icons as components (consistent size and stroke)
03Versioning mindset
When you publish library updates, consumers review changes before accepting. Breaking a primary button without notice breaks every screen that uses it — communicate major updates like an API change.
Real-life example: A design system is the shared kitchen of a restaurant chain. One recipe for the burger; every branch serves the same quality.