Dari Design System - Building a Foundation for Abu Dhabi's Property Ecosystem
Company
ADRES
Location
Abu Dhabi
Industry
Proptech
My Role
Lead Designer
Team
3 designer, PMs and POs
Project Duration
June 2023 - December 2024
Challenge
With the ambitious goal of developing 132 services for Dari across web and mobile platforms, a critical challenge was ensuring visual and experiential consistency, maintainability, and scalability. Without a unified design language, the risk of a fragmented user experience, increased development overhead, and difficulties in future iterations was significant.
The Vision
Our vision was to create a comprehensive and robust design system for Dari. This system would serve as the single source of truth for all UI elements, patterns, and guidelines, ensuring a cohesive and intuitive user experience across all platforms and services, while also streamlining the design and development process.
My Strategic Approach: Building a Scalable and User-Centric System
Comprehensive Audit and Analysis
We began with a thorough audit of existing UI elements and patterns that had emerged during the initial phases of the Dari application development. This helped us identify inconsistencies, redundancies, and areas for improvement. We also analyzed the brand guidelines and user research findings to ensure the design system aligned with Dari's identity and user needs.
Defining Core Principles and Goals:
I led the team in defining the core principles that would guide the design system. These included [e.g., Clarity, Efficiency, Accessibility, Trustworthiness, Innovation]. We also established clear goals for the design system, such as improving consistency, accelerating development cycles, enhancing maintainability, and ensuring accessibility compliance." (Visual: A visual representation of the core principles and goals of the design system.)
Establishing a Modular and Token-Based Architecture:
To ensure scalability and flexibility, we adopted a modular and token-based architecture. This involved breaking down the UI into atomic elements (e.g., colors, typography, spacing), defining reusable components (e.g., buttons, forms, navigation), and establishing clear guidelines for their usage. Tokens were used to manage visual styles centrally, allowing for easy updates and theming."(Visual: A diagram illustrating the modular architecture and token hierarchy.)
Developing Comprehensive Documentation:
Recognizing that adoption is key to the success of a design system, I prioritized the creation of clear and comprehensive documentation. This included detailed specifications for each element and component, usage guidelines, code examples, and accessibility considerations. We utilized [mention your documentation platform, e.g., Zeroheight] to create a user-friendly and easily searchable resource for designers and developers." (Visual: Screenshots of your design system documentation platform.)
Fostering Collaboration and Contribution:
"Building a successful design system requires collaboration. I established clear processes for designers and developers to contribute to and provide feedback on the system. Regular workshops, design reviews, and open communication channels were crucial for ensuring the design system evolved in a way that met the needs of the entire team." (Visual: A photo of a design system workshop or a diagram illustrating the contribution process.)
Ensuring Accessibility from the Ground Up:
Accessibility was a fundamental consideration throughout the design system's development. We integrated accessibility guidelines (WCAG) into the specifications of each component, ensuring proper semantic HTML, color contrast, keyboard navigation, and screen reader compatibility. Accessibility testing was an integral part of the component development process."
"The rollout of the Dari Design System involved close collaboration with the development teams. We provided training sessions, documentation, and ongoing support to ensure seamless adoption across all platforms and services. We also established processes for version control and updates to ensure the design system remained a living and evolving resource."
6. Impact and Benefits: A Foundation for Future Growth
The Dari Design System has had a significant positive impact on the project, including
Improved Consistency
A unified visual language ensures a cohesive and recognizable user experience across all of Dari's services.
Increased Efficiency
Reusable components and clear guidelines have accelerated the design and development process.
Enhanced Maintainability
Centralized styles and components simplify updates and reduce technical debt.
Improved Scalability
The modular architecture allows for easier expansion and the addition of new features and services.
Enhanced Accessibility
Baked-in accessibility considerations ensure a more inclusive experience for all users.
Stronger Brand Identity
A consistent visual language reinforces the Dari brand.
"Building the Dari Design System from scratch provided valuable insights into the complexities and rewards of creating a foundational UI framework. Key learnings included the importance of early planning, continuous communication, and the need for ongoing maintenance and evolution based on user feedback and technological advancements. Future iterations could focus on [mention potential future enhancements, e.g., advanced theming capabilities, more complex component libraries, deeper integration with specific technologies]."