More than a component library
A design system is more than a component library. It's a shared language between designers and developers — a single source of truth that ensures consistency, speeds up development, and reduces decision fatigue across every product touchpoint.
Don't abstract too early
The biggest mistake teams make is building a design system too early or too abstractly. You don't need 47 button variants on day one. Start with the components you actually use, document them well, and evolve the system as your product grows. Premature abstraction is the enemy of velocity.
Tokens are the foundation
Token-based theming is the foundation. Define your colors, spacing, typography, and shadows as design tokens — not hardcoded values. This makes it trivial to support dark mode, white-labeling, or brand refreshes without touching component code.
The real test is production
The real test of a design system isn't how it looks in Storybook — it's how it performs in production. Does it reduce the time to ship new features? Do developers reach for system components instead of building custom ones? If yes, your system is working. If not, it's just a pretty library nobody uses.