I’ve seen many frontend engineers who are eager to jump straight into coding the moment they’re given a new project or task or I can say they’re passionate about building beautiful components and slick user interfaces. (By the way, I was one of those engineers myself!)

But before diving into the code, there are some crucial steps we should all take namely, understanding the problem and gathering the right requirements for your frontend design system.

I’m not sure how much this resonates with others, but these are the steps I’ve followed to ensure the systems I build are both scalable and user-friendly:

Ask the Right Questions

Engage with the product owner by asking questions like: What problem are you trying to solve? Why is this problem important to you? and What goals are you aiming to achieve?

These questions help lay the foundation for designing components that truly meet user needs.

Understand User Expectations

Ask about what the end users expect from the product. This clarifies their needs and provides insights beyond the documentation, helping to avoid misaligned expectations later on.

Focus on Functionality First

Once the requirements are gathered, focus on the system’s functionality. While beautiful UI is great, functionality should be the priority. Consider how components will scale across different pages or applications. Will they be easy to maintain and extend?

After gathering the initial requirements, use the tools like draw.io to create flow diagrams. This helps test assumptions and gather feedback early, allowing you to tweak the design system before it’s fully integrated into the project.

Remember, a deep understanding of the problem space is key to building a robust frontend system that addresses today’s challenges and is adaptable to future needs.

I’d love to hear from you! What’s your approach to gathering requirements for your design systems?