From style to system

Style guides and design systems serve related but distinct purposes in the design process. A style guide describes how a product should look and sound. It focuses on colors, typography, and brand or content tone, helping maintain a consistent identity across materials. However, its scope ends with written and visual guidance.

A design system builds on that foundation by turning static design rules into coded, reusable parts. Instead of defining a button’s appearance on paper, the system contains the actual button component that designers and developers can both use. When changes occur, like updating color or spacing, the system applies them everywhere automatically.

This structure improves speed, accuracy, and collaboration between teams. Designers no longer have to re-specify elements, and developers avoid rebuilding them from scratch. The system ensures that every update or fix is applied once and distributed across the product, keeping the entire experience consistent and efficient.