When we speak of designing a product, we tend to look at the best holistic approach in producing one that performs the specified task at hand, seamless navigation by the users and bring out about the “What next?” factor to a system. System design would be the crux of developing something so apt but unique.
It is safe to say that System design would be more than just a user manual to be followed while building technology. There is a fine involvement of elements of UI for quality user experience. System design analysis would be the gateway for a creation of a product that will cater to the very need of the user.
What is a System Design?
Now that we are familiar with the term, it is only right to dig a little deeper into understanding what system design is exactly, to be able to achieve the enhanced experience that we speak of.
System design is a component library for UI elements which are mostly in code, including guidelines and principles described in the form of documentation
System design and analysis notes the constraints along with the complete set of rules that can be implemented to achieve the consistency in designing and maintaining products. What the system design and analysis consist of could be considered the holy grail for the design team.
System Design: A Boon
Usage of the design systems will throw light on the strengths and weaknesses of a company as a system analysis and design documentation is a building module of any information technology company or developer.
Sure, a system might come with constraints as mentioned earlier but does that affect the quality or creativity of the team? Nope. So why do we need a design system?
Well, one can look at the benefits of the same to concur on why it is so important to articulate a well-defined Design system. You will find below, the various factors that design systems have influenced positively.
- Consistency is the number one thing user interface aims for. Developers are able to maintain consistency in designing their products and creating a brand with the touch of their own.
- With consistency comes greater quality, this is a well-known fact.
- It speeds up maintenance time and allows new users to find it easy to learn.
- The cost of designing is made lesser along with the time process.
- A gap between customer and developer is broken while making the life of the former, much easier.
Early examples of prime companies that use such systems would be AirBnB Design language system series, Shopify Polaris and Brad Frost and Atomic Design. Aspirants can take a look at System Design books for an in-depth understanding of information analysis.
What are the subsets of a System Design?
There are a few main subsets that together check the boxes of being a solid system design.
- Logical Design: When we think about the term “logical” we think of accuracy and convenience. Likewise, logical design refers to the data flow of the system. This is carefully set keeping in mind the detail level of Data inflow and outflow. Use of system design and analysis data flow diagram magnifies the quality of the system.
- Physical design: The main act of this design is how the Data is verified and displayed for maximum useability.
- Architectural Design: Here, we speak of the nature of the product using the system analysis and design feasibility study which aims for higher efficiency. Finally, Detailed Design emphasises on the architectural side of the product at hand.
How does one work with a System Design?
Now that we have crossed the bridge of understanding what a design system does, let us take a look into how a developer can work with a system. Firstly, the main component of the UI design Library would be the various documentations. These documentations are the stepping stones of the system design world.
- Program Documentation tells us the inputs, outputs and logical processing for all programs.
- System Documentation describes the implementation of system functions
- Operations Documentation talks about the program analysis, the programmer and system identification.
- User documentation focuses on user interaction and communication which is the crux of the matter.
A question of who is the right audience for learning system design technology might pop up, it is safe to say that this information is required by every product development team for better communication and understanding of the aspects of creating a successful product, be it a beginner or an experienced developer.
System Design - A Must have
We have successfully covered the gist of the matter. You can check out our informative blog on getting a higher understanding of System Designs here Product Design-101.
In conclusion, the world of technology need not wait for a guiding factor to swoop in and make lives easier as it is already here. Understanding of such UI-UX design systems has proved to sky-rocket the field of product development. The implementation of the same has resulted in various trending factors that won’t be going away, any time soon.