Define a Component Library for Designer and Developers

Delve into the early steps of establishing a component library for designers and developers alike, while keeping common pain points in mind.

Jairus Joer

Jairus Joer

The texts in this article were partly composed with the help of artificial intelligence and corrected and revised by us. The following services were used for the generation:

Once again, we delve into the intersection of design and development - this time expanding on our previous discussion of design systems. In this article, we will take a first look at component libraries, a crucial yet often debated approach for designers and developers alike.

Component libraries, like their counterpart, the design system, are the foundation of an organization’s design and development process. They provide a (single) source of truth for designers and developers, ensuring consistency and efficiency across the board.

Establish a single source of truth

Because components reside in both the design and development domains, it is essential to establish a single source of truth for both teams. This source of truth reduces the risk of inconsistencies and miscommunication between the two teams.

Establishing a single source of truth inherently struggles with the challenge of keeping design and development in sync. A coordinated approach emerges where designers and developers establish and maintain a common understanding and communication.

Communicating and synchronizing changes

Tools for bridging the gap

State-of-the-art tools such as Figma and Storybook help bridge the gap between design and development. They provide a platform for both teams to communicate and synchronize changes in a timely manner.

Both tools provide excellent coverage of the features needed to facilitate communication and synchronization of changes, and are well suited to work with their respective teams while providing a platform for collaboration and insight from other teams.

Figma Features
Real-Time CollaborationWork simultaneously with other designers
Design SystemsWork across files with tokens and components
PrototypingBuild interactive prototypes to test user flows
Dev ModeDocument and hand off designs to developers
Version HistoryTrack changes and revert to previous versions

Storybook Featues
Isolated DevelopmentDevelop components outside of the app
Component TestingSimulate behavior and assert in the browser
Visual TestingDetermine UI changes visually by comparsion
DocumentationGenerate automated documentation for components
ExtensibleEnhance with addons for specific use cases

Roles in the process

Design

Designers share responsibility for conceptualizing components, keeping the system in mind while adhering to standards such as accessibility. They publish components and their documentation, communicate changes, and maintain and update components.

Handoff

More a shared process than a role between design and development, handoff is responsible for transferring results and associated knowledge between teams in an efficient and timely manner. It is the backbone of smooth execution in both design and development.

Development

Developers define component requirements, evaluate use cases, and review discussed concepts prior to the design process. They develop, publish, document, and maintain components across platforms and versions.

Reducing the friction

In the initial deployment of a component library, it is more than likely that both teams will encounter some sort of friction when it comes to communication and responsibilities. As part of a larger effort, it becomes a shared responsibility to reduce friction and simplify the process.

Common issues might include but not mutually exclude:

  • Neglected communication on one or more side
  • Uncertainty in terms of responsibility or tasks
  • Synchronizing UI between design and development
  • Conflicting design and technical considerations
  • Too many or too few process requirements

While you may encounter one or more of these issues, rest assured that in most cases, proper communication between teams will alleviate these transition pain points. In the end, it all adds up to a streamlined and enjoyable process for both teams.

Rinse and repeat

Once a process is found, rinse and repeat becomes the agenda. Internalize and document the process, and identify other pain points early on in both teams to perfect the process of perfecting the process.

It may sound repetitive, but communication really is the key here. In the next article, we’ll delve deeper into component libraries and design and develop a real-world example using the concepts described here. Stay tuned for more.

TL;DR

Component libraries are a cornerstone of modern design systems and will positively impact the design and development of a product. Building on solid communication between teams, managing and expanding a component library becomes a breeze.