Are design systems for beginners or experts?

Is a piano for a beginner or an expert?

A beginner can press a key and get a sound. They can learn a few chords and play a simple tune.

An expert can compose a ballad that brings people to tears.

Same piano, different outcomes. But it’s important that a piano doesn’t prevent a beginner from noodling or an expert from expressing.

Design systems work the same way.

Yes, many come with foundational building blocks, where anyone can follow the documentation and get something on the screen.

But if that’s where it stops, you’re leaving most of the music on the table.

Design systems unlock their real power when they’re treated as tools for fluency, expression, and quality.

Not just “standards,” but enablers of great organizational masterpieces.