Section 10 · Systems & Multi-Tool Workflow

Design Systems

Definition

A shared set of reusable components, styles, and rules that keep a body of work visually and functionally consistent.

Why it matters

As projects grow beyond a single file, consistency has to be built into a system rather than maintained by memory.

Example

A defined palette, type scale, and spacing rules reused across every piece in a campaign.

Teaching note

Even a three-screen prototype constitutes a small system — components, type styles, and motion timings. Naming it as such is what makes consistency assessable rather than a matter of taste.