Design Principles

Design principles establish the values and priorities that guide design system decisions. Clear design principles help teams make consistent choices by providing criteria for evaluating options and resolving tradeoffs.

What Are Design Principles

Design principles are stated beliefs about what makes good design within a specific context. They articulate priorities that guide decision-making when multiple valid approaches exist. Principles help distributed teams make aligned decisions without requiring explicit coordination for every choice.

Effective design principles are specific enough to differentiate approaches and memorable enough to influence daily work. Generic principles like “make it good” provide no guidance. Principles that capture genuine organizational values shape real decisions.

How Design Principles Work

Principle development identifies what the organization values in design. Development involves reflecting on successful designs, articulating implicit beliefs, and prioritizing among competing values. Stakeholder input ensures principles reflect broad organizational perspective.

Principle articulation states principles in memorable, actionable forms. Good principles describe priorities clearly: “Accessible first, aesthetic second” makes priority explicit. Principles should be few enough to remember and use.

Principle application uses principles to guide decisions. When evaluating design options, teams assess alignment with principles. Principles provide vocabulary for discussing tradeoffs. Application makes principles practical rather than aspirational.

Principle evolution updates principles as organizational understanding matures. Principles are not permanent; they should evolve as the organization learns. Regular review ensures principles remain relevant and useful.

Key Considerations

• Principles should be specific to the organization, not generic platitudes
• Fewer principles are more memorable and usable
• Principles should address genuine tradeoffs
• Communication ensures principles are known and understood
• Application demonstrates principles matter

Common Questions

How many design principles should a system have?

Most design systems succeed with three to seven principles. More principles become difficult to remember and apply consistently. Fewer principles may not address the breadth of decisions teams face. The right number balances coverage with memorability.

How do principles differ from guidelines?

Principles state values and priorities; guidelines provide specific instructions. Principles explain what matters; guidelines explain what to do. Principles enable judgment when guidelines do not exist. Guidelines implement principles in concrete situations.

How do organizations ensure principles are used?

Ensuring use requires communication, integration, and reinforcement. Communication makes principles known. Integration weaves principles into design reviews, decision discussions, and documentation. Reinforcement through leadership attention signals principles matter. Principles that never appear in actual discussions become decorative.

Summary

Design principles guide decision-making by establishing values and priorities. Success requires specific, memorable principles that address genuine tradeoffs and are actively used in design decisions. Organizations should develop principles that reflect their unique values and integrate them into design practice.