Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that suggests that the best action is the one that maximizes overall happiness and minimizes overall unhappiness. The common phrase associated with utilitarianism is, “The greatest good for the greatest number of people.”

On first glance, that sounds a lot like design system work. Design system professionals make and/or collect things that can be reused most at the broadest scales.

But the typical criticisms of utilitarianism apply here too. One of the most common ones is “demandingness:” it takes too much of a toll on any given person to create “the greatest good for the greatest number of people.” For example, a person can do their part to eliminate poverty by donating every dollar they have to the poor. But, in the process, they themselves become poor, exacerbating the very problem they’re attempting to eradicate. Likewise, a common story I hear from design system teams is how burnt how they are trying to solve every single user interface need that surfaces at their organization. They end up becoming staff augmentation with no relief in sight.

So what’s a better alternative?

Ubuntu is a comprehensive ancient African world view based on the values of intense humanness, caring, sharing, respect, compassion, and associated values, ensuring a happy and qualitative human community life in the spirit of family. (Hey, that sounds like another side of design system work.) Literally translated, the word ubuntu means something close to:

A person is a person through other people.

Effective design system work isn’t about operating at the grandest scales. That may be a welcome by-product of good design system work, but the real mission is to help all the people at your organization get their work done a little bit better, faster, and more happily.

A design system is a design system through other people.