Why a Design System Roadmap Matters

A design system is not just a collection of UI components. It is an evolving framework that requires thoughtful planning and maintenance. Without a structured roadmap, teams can quickly become overwhelmed, leading to inconsistency, miscommunication, and wasted effort. A well-defined roadmap sets expectations, aligns stakeholders, and ensures that design and development teams work toward the same goals.

The purpose of a design system roadmap is to provide clarity and structure. It helps teams prioritize work, avoid unnecessary scope creep, and allocate resources effectively. Instead of tackling everything at once, a roadmap allows teams to break down their efforts into manageable phases. It also improves transparency, making it easier to communicate progress and upcoming features to stakeholders.

One of the biggest benefits of a roadmap is its role in ensuring consistency across products. By planning ahead, teams can standardize components, patterns, and best practices, making collaboration smoother. A strong roadmap also supports scalability, helping teams plan for future growth while keeping the design system manageable over time.

Setting Realistic Expectations with Estimations

Creating a roadmap isn’t just about listing out tasks. It’s about estimating the time and effort required for each step. The more detailed the estimation, the easier it is to manage expectations.

A common mistake is providing high-level estimates that lack actionable detail. Instead of saying, “We’ll complete the color system in two weeks,” breaking it down into smaller tasks makes the process more manageable. For example, defining a color system might include individual steps like creating swatches, setting contrast guidelines, and testing accessibility compliance. By estimating each sub-task separately, teams gain a clearer understanding of how long the entire process will take.

Different teams use different estimation methods. Some prefer estimating in days or weeks, while others use story points, t-shirt sizes, or effort levels. Regardless of the method, the goal is to provide visibility into timelines and ensure achievable milestones. In an agile workflow, estimations help teams stay on track while allowing flexibility to adjust priorities as needed.

Another key factor is recognizing that building a design system takes time. It is not something that can be completed in a few days or even weeks. A foundational design system can take months to fully establish, and even longer to refine and integrate across products. Understanding this helps set realistic expectations for stakeholders and prevents unnecessary pressure on teams.

Phased Approach: Spare-Time vs. Dedicated Teams

Not all teams have the luxury of working full-time on a design system. Many design systems start as side projects, where designers dedicate a few hours per week to building and refining components. Progress in these cases is naturally slower, but still valuable.

For example, in the first two months of a spare-time system, a team might complete foundational tasks like conducting research, defining core principles, and establishing color and typography guidelines. Meanwhile, a team with allocated resources can move faster, expanding their system to include spacing, grid systems, icon libraries, and core components within the same timeframe.

For teams with a fully dedicated design system team, the process is even more structured. These teams focus on long-term planning, system adoption, and ongoing maintenance. Their roadmap includes deeper integrations with development tools, enhanced documentation, and structured processes for onboarding new teams.

The key takeaway is that no matter the pace, a roadmap provides structure to ensure steady progress. Whether working on a design system part-time or full-time, having a clear plan makes the process more efficient and scalable.

Building a Roadmap with Actionable Tickets

A design system roadmap isn’t just a theoretical guide. It should be backed by detailed tasks and structured workflows. Creating tickets with clear properties helps teams stay organized and accountable.

Each ticket should include essential details such as a clear title, description, priority level, assigned owner, and estimated timeline. Tickets should also specify dependencies, status updates, and acceptance criteria to ensure alignment between designers, developers, and stakeholders.

For example, a ticket for defining a color system might include:

• Title: Establish Primary Color Palette
• Epic: Color System
• Estimation: 3 days
• Assigned to: Design Team
• Priority: High
• Status: In Progress
• Acceptance Criteria: All colors tested for accessibility compliance, documented in Figma, and integrated into Storybook.

Using a structured approach like this makes it easier to track progress, identify bottlenecks, and adjust the roadmap as needed.

Choosing the Right Tools for Roadmap Planning

Different teams use different tools to manage their roadmaps. Choosing the right tool depends on team size, workflow preferences, and existing project management systems.

Jira is a popular choice for teams following Agile methodologies. It allows teams to break work into epics, stories, and subtasks while providing roadmap views for long-term planning. Asana is another great option, offering an intuitive interface and strong collaboration features. Teams looking for a more lightweight solution might prefer Notion, which allows for flexible organization and simple documentation.

For design-specific workflows, Figma and FigJam provide great collaboration spaces for mapping out a roadmap visually. Some teams integrate their design system roadmap directly within Figma, linking components to their development counterparts in Storybook. The key is to align the roadmap with the team’s existing tools to ensure seamless adoption.

One important consideration is how much familiarity team members should have with project management tools. While designers do not need to be experts in Jira or Asana, having a basic understanding of how to create tickets, update statuses, and track progress is essential. If a team lacks a dedicated project manager, it becomes even more important for designers to take ownership of their roadmap and communicate effectively.

Final Thought

A design system roadmap is more than just a plan. It is a strategic tool that guides teams in building, scaling, and maintaining a design system effectively. By setting realistic expectations, breaking tasks into manageable steps, and using the right tools, teams can ensure their design system evolves in a structured and sustainable way.

If you’d like to discuss this topic further or explore how I can help you build one for your project or your team, feel free to reach out at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you!