Improve engagement and usability of Lyse’s design system by restructuring the component library, enhancing documentation accessibility, and fostering better collaboration among design teams across multiple brands.
After joining, several problems emerged: low engagement and adoption across teams, difficult-to-use components leading to workarounds, a UI Kit housing multiple brands creating maintenance complexity, and hard-to-find documentation causing confusion and inefficiency. This triggered a mission realignment to address these pain points.
Documentation was moved from alongside components to SharePoint (with plans for ZeroHeight migration), creating a dedicated space for component creation while ensuring better security and easier access. The existing component library had accumulated layers of properties over years without revisiting its foundations — including a list element with 19 toggles and options that made the design experience painful.
After testing, we realized the existing structure was too rigid for easy updates without significant risk. Reworking the UI Kit wasn’t feasible at that stage. We prioritized critical updates and focused on building a foundation for Version 2.0 while maintaining stability.
Developed a six-point strategy to foster adoption: educating team members, creating role-specific training, improving documentation, and setting up feedback loops for continuous improvement.
I underestimated how layered and intricate the system had become over time. This highlighted the importance of revisiting foundational design principles for scalability. A well-structured design system is only effective if teams are engaged — clear documentation, structured training, and a streamlined UI Kit make a huge difference. Success depends not just on technical integrity, but on the cultural shifts when it becomes a core part of the team’s workflow.