Evolving a Public Sector Design System in Figma

Here's how I helped the department cut design-to-dev time by 42%, enhancing a public sector design system powering 5+ platforms and 9,000+ users

Design system

Goverment

SaaS

Website

The problem

In a complex public sector environment, multiple teams were building in silos, resulting in duplicated design effort, inconsistent branding, accessibility risks, and slow delivery. On top of the technical issues, the design system lacked clear governance, usable documentation, and a community-driven adoption model. Without this, even the best components risked going unused.

How might we enhance thedesign system’s foundations while also building the governance, documentation, and adoption practicesthat drive long-term success?

Targeting the root cause

As the Design Systems Designer and Lead for the Mobile App Design System, I implemented two key initiatives to enhance the existing system.

Enhancing a pre-existing design system

Objective: Strengthen the mobile design system’s usability, scalability, and accessibility.

Refactored mobile components based on live product testing and designer feedback
Introduced new variants, states, and naming conventions to improve clarity and consistency
Conducted a full accessibility audit and implemented Dark Mode across platforms
Designed a new WCAG 2.1-compliant colour palette for inclusive design
Integrated a second major brand using scalable tokens and variable modes

Driving Adoption from the inside out

Objective: Build trust, streamline onboarding, and embed the system into daily workflows.

Redesigned the DS website into a user-friendly, scalable hub with updated documentation
Structured a governance model to clarify contribution and update processes
Developed onboarding resources to help new teams adopt the system quickly
Embedded directly with product teams to cut duplication and align delivery to the system
Acted as a bridge between designers, developers, and stakeholders, building buy-in through demos and collaborative workshops

Design systems designer, Lead designer of Mobile App design system

Enhancing a pre-existing design system

Refactored mobile platform components based on feedback and live product testing
Introduced new variants, states, and naming conventions for clarity
Conducted a full accessibility audit and rolled out Dark Mode across platforms
Designed a brand-new accessible colour palette that met WCAG 2.1 standards
Integrated a second major brand into the system with scalable tokens and variable modes

Driving Adoption from the inside out

Redesigned the DS website into a user-friendly, scalable hub with updated documentation
Structured a governance model to clarify contribution and update processes
Developed onboarding resources to help new teams adopt the system quickly
Embedded directly with product teams to cut duplication and align delivery to the system
Acted as a bridge between designers, developers, and stakeholders, building buy-in through demos and collaborative workshops

Design systems designer, Lead designer of Mobile App design system

Enhancing a pre-existing design system

Refactored mobile platform components based on feedback and live product testing
Introduced new variants, states, and naming conventions for clarity
Conducted a full accessibility audit and rolled out Dark Mode across platforms
Designed a brand-new accessible colour palette that met WCAG 2.1 standards
Integrated a second major brand into the system with scalable tokens and variable modes

Driving Adoption from the inside out

Redesigned the DS website into a user-friendly, scalable hub with updated documentation
Structured a governance model to clarify contribution and update processes
Developed onboarding resources to help new teams adopt the system quickly
Embedded directly with product teams to cut duplication and align delivery to the system
Acted as a bridge between designers, developers, and stakeholders, building buy-in through demos and collaborative workshops

What impact did I leave?

By making components responsive, intuitive, and error-proof, reducing friction and speeding up delivery across products.

Reduced design-to-dev time by

42%

Tap for details

Rolled out improvements across 5+ platforms on Figma, including mobile apps, .NET, ServiceNow, and Salesforce, empowering teams across the department to design with clarity and confidence.

Platform-agnostic design system hosting over

9k+ users

Tap for details

By embedding the enhanced design system into three major platform redesigns across the department, I helped teams work faster, stay aligned, and deliver digital experiences that tested up to 52% higher in SUS scores compared to legacy designs.

System usibility scores increased by

52%

Tap for details

The outcome

We transformed an underutilised design system into a scalable, responsive, and accessible foundation — while embedding governance and adoption strategies that ensured its success.

My contributions spanned both deep structural improvements (e.g. refactoring components, introducing dark mode, building an accessible colour palette) and adoption initiatives (refreshing the DS website, building documentation, and onboarding frameworks).

Together, these improvements increased efficiency, consistency, and engagement across teams, proving the system’s value to executives and product stakeholders.

Design system website prototype

← Back to Works

The Result

By making components responsive, intuitive, and error-proof, reducing friction and speeding up delivery across products.

Reduced design-to-dev time by

42%

Tap for details

Rolled out improvements across 5+ platforms on Figma, including mobile apps, .NET, ServiceNow, and Salesforce, empowering teams across the department to design with clarity and confidence.