Sparkbox has created and managed design systems alongside our client partners for many years. Our work has shown us quite clearly that the long-term success of a design system depends not only on the quality of the assets it contains but also on conscientious communication, governance, and constructive iteration.
If you’re managing a design system, you should be thinking about things like these:
- Establishing and maintaining support channels
- Creating intake processes for requests and bugs
- Setting up ambassador programs
- Scoring systems
- Annual planning sessions and roadmapping
- Communicating plans for deprecation
- Accessibility audits
- Stakeholder surveys & demos
We understand how important—and how daunting—these initiatives can be. It’s a lot to tackle all at once. To help you create and manage the load, we’ve created a calendar that will help keep you on track. Regular entries (complete with background information and links to supporting resources) will keep you informed, focused, and inspired throughout the year. You’re welcome to use what works and combine our ideas with your own planning processes.