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In early 2020 when the world first experienced COVID-19, the general state of alarm combined with a sudden increased need meant certain products were suddenly much more in demand. Toilet paper, cleaning wipes, and thermometers flew off the shelves faster than they were stocked.
Other products didn’t. Many retailers overstocked based on anticipated demand. For example, with more people working from home, the need for more home office furniture seemed likely, and many furniture providers dialed up production. Furniture and home goods company Wayfair saw a 55% sales increase in 2020. However, by Q1 of 2022, sales dropped by 13%, and Wayfair admitted to overbuying inventory, causing them to have excess stock they struggled to clear.
Though nothing is comparable to an unprecedented global pandemic, the ebbs and flows of supply and demand run rampant for any business. Makers manufacture goods for their customers based on a mix of history, forecasting, and intuition. Designers and engineers who work on design systems make components for other designers and engineers who use those components to make user interfaces for customers to interact with.
How many components end up sitting around, taking up space in your company’s metaphorical warehouse?
Just as retailers struggle to move overstocked inventory, design systems can accumulate unused or redundant components. They’re almost always created with good intentions—anticipating future needs, adhering to trends, or solving one-off problems. Over time, though, they bloat the system.
The solution?
Only build what you need.
There are 2 primary ways I’ve seen teams define “what they need:”
What they think a design system should have in it
What their prospective customers ask for repeatedly
Ignore the first way—as it tends to push towards genericness—and prioritize the second.
Remember, the goal of a design system is not to have the most components but to have the right components that enable teams to work efficiently and create consistent, high-quality user interfaces.
It may feel counterintuitive and uncomfortable, but it’s better to have a design system that has not enough components in it than too many.
By treating your design system like a well-managed inventory, you can ensure that every component earns its place and contributes to your organization's success.
