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Crown

We helped Crown Equipment Corporation build a stronger design system foundation. When they came back years later, we were ready to take it even further.

Client

Crown Equipment Corporation is a privately held, family-owned American manufacturer of forklifts and material handling equipment, headquartered in New Bremen, Ohio. Founded in 1945, Crown has grown into one of the world's largest material handling companies, with over 19,600 employees and operations in more than 80 countries.

Solution

Sparkbox helped Crown Equipment Corporation migrate and mature their design system from Sketch to Figma, establishing the documentation, component structure, and UX foundations needed for their team to manage it independently.

Scope

  • Documentation audit
  • Sketch to Figma migration
  • UX improvements
  • Component documentation
  • Doc site structure
  • Figma API implementation
  • Component development
  • Accessibility guidance
  • UX education
  • Component recommendations

Tech

  • Design System
  • Figma

Crown Design System Evolution: A Partnership Built on Trust and Growth

The Foundation of a Design System Partnership

Sparkbox initially engaged with Crown Equipment Corporation to assist with their design system in 2018. We returned in 2023 to assist with design system migration from Sketch to Figma, a common request at that time as organizations modernized their system tooling. This partnership evolved into something even more significant: a multi-year partnership that demonstrates how thoughtful design system work extends beyond technical implementation to encompass education, growth, and long-term strategic value.

Beyond Migration: Building for Growth

At the project's inception, Crown's design system existed in Sketch but lacked the structure and documentation necessary for a mature, scalable system. The Sparkbox team quickly recognized that Crown's needs extended far beyond a simple tool migration. The existing components required UX improvements, and the overall system architecture needed strengthening. Rather than treating this as scope creep, the team embraced the opportunity to build something truly valuable for Crown's long-term success.

Our work involved comprehensive documentation, establishing clear design system governance guidelines, and implementing accessibility standards throughout the component library. Each component migration became an opportunity for Sparkbox to collaborate with the Crown team on design system best practices, from naming conventions to component architecture. This educational approach proved crucial, as it equipped Crown's internal team with the knowledge they needed to maintain and evolve their system independently.

The collaboration also included establishing the technical foundation for Crown's documentation site, complete with implementation guidelines and usage examples. This was a resource that would serve Crown's developers and designers for years to come.

A Test of Independence

Rather than creating dependency, Sparkbox worked to build Crown's capacity to manage the system independently. After we completed the initial migration and establishing the foundational documentation in 2023 and 2024, Crown's internal team took ownership of the design system. For several years, the Crown team successfully maintained and evolved their design system using the principles and practices established during our collaboration. They implemented new components, maintained consistency across their product suite, and continued to improve the system's maturity.

Recognition and Return

The true measure of the partnership's value became clear when Crown reached out to Sparkbox again in 2026. Their years of hands-on experience managing the design system had given them a sophisticated understanding of both its strengths and its limitations. The Crown team had grown tremendously in its expertise with the system, but also understood where support could provide significant value.

When Crown and Sparkbox teamed back up, our dynamic had fundamentally shifted. Our partners at Crown now approached the project with a much more specific understanding of their own needs, specific requests for UX improvements, and deep appreciation for the collaborative, educational approach that Sparkbox brings to design system work. On the Sparkbox side, we brought enhanced approaches to component architecture, improved accessibility practices, and refined documentation strategies.

This evolution reflects the dynamic nature of design system work. Unlike static deliverables, design systems require ongoing attention, refinement, and strategic thinking. The partnership's renewal allowed both teams to apply their accumulated knowledge and experience to push Crown's system to new levels.

The Lasting Impact of Educational Partnership

Crown's story exemplifies the most successful type of design system partnership, one that provides immediate value while equipping the organization for long-term evolution. The project's success isn't measured only in components migrated or documentation created, but in the growth of Crown's internal team and its ability to make informed decisions about the design system's future. This approach creates lasting value that extends far beyond any single project engagement, establishing the foundation for sustained success and continued collaboration when additional expertise can provide strategic advantage.