Design System & Component Library
Building an enterprise-grade design system with 50+ reusable, accessible React components following WCAG 2.1 guidelines, complete with comprehensive documentation in Storybook.
The Challenge
Component API Design
Balancing flexibility with simplicity - components needed to handle many use cases without becoming too complex.
Accessibility at Scale
Ensuring all 50+ components met WCAG 2.1 AA standards required extensive testing and expertise.
Adoption Across Teams
Multiple teams resisted migrating from existing solutions to the new component library.
Documentation & Maintenance
Keeping documentation updated with components and ensuring long-term maintainability of the system.
Component Categories
Form Components
Input, Select, Checkbox, Radio, Switch, DatePicker, FileUpload - all with validation, error states, and accessibility features built-in.
Navigation
Header, Sidebar, Tabs, Breadcrumbs, Pagination, Dropdown Menu - responsive and keyboard accessible with focus management.
Data Display
Table, List, Card, Badge, Tag, Avatar, Tooltip, Progress - optimized for performance with virtualization support for large datasets.
Feedback
Alert, Toast, Modal, Dialog, Loading Spinner, Skeleton - proper ARIA live regions and focus trap for modals.
Layout
Grid, Flex, Container, Spacer, Divider, Stack - responsive with mobile-first approach and consistent spacing scale.
Theming
Dark mode support, custom themes, CSS variables, design tokens, and dynamic theme switching without page reload.
Technical Implementation
Technology Stack
Development Process
Design System Foundation
Established design tokens for colors, typography, spacing, and breakpoints. Created compound component pattern standards for complex components.
Component Development & Testing
Built 50+ components with TypeScript for type safety. Achieved 100% test coverage with Jest and React Testing Library. Implemented visual regression testing with Chromatic.
Accessibility Implementation
Created accessibility checklist for every component. Conducted manual screen reader testing. Hired accessibility consultant for comprehensive audit achieving WCAG 2.1 AA compliance.
Documentation & Adoption
Built interactive Storybook documentation with MDX. Created migration guides and codemods for automated migration. Held weekly office hours for team support.
Results & Impact
Development Efficiency
40% reduction in UI development time. Teams can build new features faster using pre-built, tested components. Onboarding time for new developers reduced by 50%.
Consistency & Quality
Achieved visual consistency across all products. Zero accessibility violations in production. Reduced UI bugs by 60% through reusable, well-tested components.
Adoption & Scale
Used by 15+ teams across the organization. 200+ npm downloads weekly. Component library became the foundation for all new projects.
Key Learnings
Component API is the most important decision - it's hard to change later. Composition over configuration leads to more flexible components. Accessibility from day one is much easier than retrofitting.