IBM: sistemas de diseño con accesibilidad

What is a Design System?

A Design System is the cornerstone in the world of software design and development. It is compared to the Lord of the Rings for its ability to centralize and standardize design and development decisions. Its goal is clear: to be the single source of truth in the organization, incorporating decisions about colors, fonts, and user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) behaviors. This system has a significant impact on product efficiency and quality.

Why are component libraries important?

Component libraries are crucial in a Design System, facilitating the creation and maintenance of applications. These libraries include common elements such as buttons, tables and drop-down menus, which are developed once and reused in multiple projects. This is where the magic of tools like Storybook comes into play, allowing you to organize and visualize each component along with its documentation and unit tests.

// Storybook configuration exampleimport { configure } from '@storybook/react';
configure(require.context('../src', true, /storybook/react/), module);

Testing and coverage: How to ensure quality?

Quality in a Design System is ensured by automated testing. The React Testing Library, together with Jest, allows to reach a minimum coverage of 90%, significantly decreasing the possibility of errors. Adding other tools such as Axe React improves accessibility and increases confidence in the components.

How to boost collaboration between designers and developers?

The process of creating a Design System is an exercise in deep collaboration between designers and developers. By working together, teams can create accessible, high-quality components, which are then efficiently integrated into different projects. This approach reduces development time and ensures consistency and quality across all applications.

Practical examples: What can we learn?

Case studies show the tangible value of a good Design System.

Case of the "Factory" project

An exemplary case was the project developed in a company called "Factory", where a Design System called "Minerva" was implemented. The creation of Minerva represented a considerable initial investment, but it exponentially increased the speed of new product development, while improving the team's experience and efficiency.

Case Study: Design System Carbon

IBM's Carbon is world-renowned for its quality and focus on accessibility. One of its most notable contributions is the clever numerical nomenclature for the color palette, ensuring that the color combinations used are accessible, simplifying developers' lives.

// Recommended use of colors in CarbonGray 20 (background) - Gray 80 (text)Gray 30 (background) - Gray 90 (text)// Difference of 60 or more ensures accessible contrast.

In summary, why adopt a Design System?

Adopting a Design System not only standardizes and optimizes development, but also aligns the quality and accessibility of applications, making them sustainable in the long term. Investing in a Design System is investing in the efficiency, quality and happiness of the teams within an organization. Designers and developers working together create solutions that are functional, accessible and responsible. Come explore this fascinating world and transform your projects!