The ALD Design System Journey

Creating a cohesive design system is one of the most rewarding yet challenging aspects of building digital products. Over the past few months, I've been developing what I call the "ALD" design system—a minimalist approach that prioritizes clarity, accessibility, and purposeful design decisions.

What is ALD?

ALD stands for Accessibility, Legibility, and Deliberate Design. These three principles guide every decision in the system:

• Accessibility: WCAG AA compliance and inclusive design
• Legibility: Clear typography and optimal contrast ratios
• Deliberate Design: Every element serves a purpose

The Foundation: Design Tokens

Color System

The ALD color palette is intentionally constrained. Starting with a limited set of carefully chosen colors prevents decision fatigue and ensures consistency:

:root {
  /* Primary Colors */
  --color-accent-primary: #2563eb;
  --color-accent-secondary: #1d4ed8;
  
  /* Neutral Scale */
  --color-text-primary: #0f172a;
  --color-text-secondary: #475569;
  --color-text-muted: #94a3b8;
  
  /* Background Colors */
  --color-background-primary: #ffffff;
  --color-background-secondary: #f8fafc;
  --color-background-elevated: #ffffff;
}

Typography Scale

Typography in ALD follows a modular scale with clear hierarchy:

• Display: 48px - For hero headlines
• H1: 36px - Primary page headings
• H2: 30px - Section headings
• H3: 24px - Subsection headings
• Body Large: 18px - Important body text
• Body: 16px - Standard body text
• Small: 14px - Secondary information
• Tiny: 12px - Captions and labels

Spacing System

Consistent spacing creates visual rhythm. ALD uses a base-8 system:

/* Spacing scale (based on 8px) */
--space-1: 0.25rem; /* 4px */
--space-2: 0.5rem;  /* 8px */
--space-3: 0.75rem; /* 12px */
--space-4: 1rem;    /* 16px */
--space-6: 1.5rem;  /* 24px */
--space-8: 2rem;    /* 32px */
--space-12: 3rem;   /* 48px */
--space-16: 4rem;   /* 64px */
--space-20: 5rem;   /* 80px */

Component Philosophy

Composable Over Monolithic

Instead of creating complex, all-in-one components, ALD favors smaller, composable pieces:

// Good: Composable
<Card>
  <CardHeader>
    <CardTitle>Project Title</CardTitle>
  </CardHeader>
  <CardContent>
    <p>Project description...</p>
  </CardContent>
</Card>

// Avoid: Monolithic
<ProjectCard 
  title="Project Title" 
  description="Project description..." 
  showHeader={true}
  headerType="large"
  // ... many props
/>

Variants Over Customization

Rather than accepting endless customization props, ALD components use predefined variants:

interface CardProps {
  variant?: "default" | "elevated" | "outlined" | "ghost";
  padding?: "none" | "sm" | "md" | "lg" | "xl";
  hoverable?: boolean;
}

This approach:

• Maintains design consistency
• Reduces decision fatigue
• Prevents design drift
• Improves performance

Implementation Challenges

Challenge 1: Responsive Design

Creating a system that works across all device sizes required careful consideration of:

• Fluid typography scaling
• Flexible spacing systems
• Adaptive component behavior

Solution: CSS clamp() functions and container queries where supported.

Challenge 2: Dark Mode Considerations

While ALD currently focuses on light mode, the token system is designed to accommodate dark mode:

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
  :root {
    --color-background-primary: #0f172a;
    --color-text-primary: #f8fafc;
    /* ... other dark mode overrides */
  }
}

Challenge 3: Developer Experience

Ensuring the system is easy to use for developers meant:

• Clear TypeScript interfaces
• Comprehensive documentation
• Consistent naming conventions
• Helpful error messages

Tools and Workflow

Design Tokens Management

Using CSS custom properties with TypeScript types ensures consistency between design and code:

type SpacingValue = 
  | 'space-1' | 'space-2' | 'space-3' | 'space-4' 
  | 'space-6' | 'space-8' | 'space-12' | 'space-16' | 'space-20';

type ColorValue = 
  | 'accent-primary' | 'accent-secondary'
  | 'text-primary' | 'text-secondary' | 'text-muted'
  | 'background-primary' | 'background-secondary';

Component Documentation

Each component includes:

• Usage examples
• Props documentation
• Accessibility notes
• Visual variants

Testing Strategy

ALD components are tested for:

• Visual regression
• Accessibility compliance
• TypeScript type safety
• Responsive behavior

Measuring Success

Metrics That Matter

• Design Consistency: Visual audits show 95% adherence to system
• Development Speed: 40% faster component implementation
• Accessibility: 100% WCAG AA compliance
• Bundle Size: Minimal impact through tree-shaking

User Feedback

Key insights from user testing:

• Improved task completion rates
• Higher satisfaction scores
• Reduced cognitive load
• Better accessibility ratings

Lessons Learned

Start with Constraints

The most valuable decision was establishing strict constraints early:

• Limited color palette prevents decision paralysis
• Consistent spacing creates visual harmony
• Type scale ensures proper hierarchy

Documentation is Critical

No matter how intuitive you think your system is, comprehensive documentation is essential:

• Usage guidelines prevent misuse
• Examples accelerate adoption
• Accessibility notes ensure compliance

Evolution Over Revolution

The system evolved gradually rather than being designed all at once:

• Started with basic components
• Added complexity as needs emerged
• Refactored based on real usage

Future Roadmap

Short Term

• Dark mode implementation
• Additional component variants
• Animation and micro-interaction guidelines

Long Term

• Design token management tool
• Automated design-to-code pipeline
• Community contribution guidelines

Getting Started with Your Own System

1. Define Your Principles

What matters most for your product? Examples:

• Performance and speed
• Accessibility and inclusion
• Brand differentiation
• Developer productivity

2. Start Small

Begin with:

• Color palette
• Typography scale
• Basic spacing system
• One or two components

3. Document Everything

From day one:

• Usage guidelines
• Code examples
• Design rationale
• Accessibility considerations

4. Measure and Iterate

Track:

• Adoption rates
• Development velocity
• Design consistency
• User satisfaction

Conclusion

Building the ALD design system has been a journey of intentional choices and continuous refinement. The emphasis on accessibility, legibility, and deliberate design has created a foundation that serves both users and developers well.

The key insight is that constraints liberate creativity. By establishing clear boundaries and principles, the system enables faster decision-making while maintaining quality and consistency.

A design system is never truly finished—it evolves with your product and team. The most important step is starting with clear principles and building systematically from there.

---

Are you building or considering a design system? What principles guide your design decisions? I'd love to hear about your approach and challenges.