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The Ladder of System Thinking

Sparkbox
March 25, 2021

The Ladder of System Thinking

An iterative approach to building systems for design.

Sparkbox

March 25, 2021
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  1. THE LADDER OF SYSTEM THINKING The Ladder of System Thinking

    An iterative approach to building 
 systems for design Andrew Spencer | Frontend Designer #SparkboxUnConf
  2. THE LADDER OF SYSTEM THINKING Problem Dream Solution Problem De

    fi nition Research Design Design Process
  3. THE LADDER OF SYSTEM THINKING Problem Dream Reality Solution Problem

    De fi nition Research Design Design Process
  4. THE LADDER OF SYSTEM THINKING Systems help with… Communication Consistent

    UI Thoughtful UX Avoiding band-aid solutions Productivity through process
  5. THE LADDER OF SYSTEM THINKING Build a design system The

    end So you need a better system…
  6. THE LADDER OF SYSTEM THINKING Chaos Action Rapid exploration Design

    “in your head” Outcome Messy fi les Not sustainable or scalable Best for one designer, ideation
  7. THE LADDER OF SYSTEM THINKING Components Action Find solutions from

    ideation Start with styles and build up Documentation! Outcome Faster to make edits More consistency Natural transition to code Best for two or more designers
  8. THE LADDER OF SYSTEM THINKING Design Library Action Collect common

    components Move outside a single fi le Share components Outcome Teams are on the same page and can share resources Reduce decisions across the team Best for two or more projects
  9. THE LADDER OF SYSTEM THINKING Design System Action Combine design,

    code, and documentation Establish a dedicated team to build and maintain Outcome Design and built components live side by side with documentation Shared understanding between design and engineering Best for large, cross-functional teams
  10. THE LADDER OF SYSTEM THINKING The ladder of system thinking

    Chaos, Components, Pattern Library, Design System
  11. THE LADDER OF SYSTEM THINKING Next steps Evaluate where you

    are on the ladder Improve what you have or… Weigh the advantages of the next rung against the e ff ort it takes to get there