Design System Tactics.

Whether you're starting fresh or maintaining a mature system, this growing collection of tactics is designed to help you make progress at every stage.

Global Component Audit

A comprehensive review of all components in your design system to ensure they meet design, accessibility, and usability standards. This audit helps maintain quality as your system evolves and uncovers components that may need to be refactored, refined, or retired.

When to use it

Run this audit during major system updates, before a public release, or periodically to ensure consistency across platforms and brands. It’s also useful after rapid growth, contribution spikes, or when components feel misaligned or hard to use.

Steps

  1. Scope the Audit

    Identify which components to review. Start with high-use, high-impact, or frequently problematic ones.

  2. Assess System Alignment

    Check each component against your design system standards—visual style, spacing, naming, variants, documentation, and responsive behaviour.

  3. Evaluate Accessibility

    Audit for key accessibility features like contrast ratios, keyboard navigation, focus states, ARIA roles, and screen reader support.

  4. Collect Cross-Functional Feedback

    Gather insights from designers, developers, and product teams to uncover usability issues, friction points, or duplication in real-world use.

  5. Log Findings & Take Action

    Document issues, prioritise improvements, and flag components for redesign, refactoring, or removal. Track updates in your changelog and documentation.

Outcomes

  • Higher-quality, more consistent components
  • Improved accessibility and usability
  • Reduced tech/design debt
  • Clear documentation of changes and system decisions

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