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👩🏼💻 My role and influence
As a Senior Product Designer, I have to:
Create a design system practically from scratch for HSE University (a leader in Russia and one of the preeminent universities in Eastern Europe)
Maintain, develop, and structure the design system.
Manage the process of requests for new components.
<100
designers use this design system
15
products are supported by this design system
Mobile + Desktop
Existing iOS and Android components were redesigned into cross-functional variants, and new components were created
👨🏾💻👩💻 Team
Natalia Tarasova, Senior Product Designer
Nikita Frolov, Middle UX/UI Designer
Yana Panteleeva, Researcher
Natalia Ivanova, Product Manager
📈 Outcome
200% increase in development speed
50% reduction in time to market
75% decrease in integration time
50% reduction in maintenance time
Products built on HSE Design System
HSE Havigation
Download from:
HSE App X
Download from:
Download from:
And many other products..
How it began.. strategy & Planning
Initially, I organized a meeting with stakeholders, current product designers, and developers to understand their needs, constraints, goals and opportunities.
Brand book integration
The existing brand book was the foundational element in this process. The design language was not created in isolation but was instead deeply influenced by the brand's established visual and communication guidelines. This included color palettes, typography, iconography, and other visual elements that have been synonymous with the brand.
Component-Based Design
The design system adopted a component-based approach. This means designing reusable elements like buttons, input fields, navigation bars, etc., that adhere to the brand's style guide. These components can be used consistently across various platforms and products, ensuring a uniform look and feel.
Scalability and Flexibility
While respecting the existing brand book, the design language was crafted to be scalable and flexible. It can accommodate future growth and changes in design trends without losing its core identity. This adaptability is crucial for long-term brand relevance.
User-Centric Approach
User experience was a key focus in the visual communication strategy. This involved understanding the target audience's needs and preferences and ensuring that the design language was intuitive, accessible, and engaging for the user.
Documentation and Guidelines
Detailed documentation was created alongside the visual style guide. This included guidelines on how to effectively use the design elements, ensuring consistency and ease of use for designers and developers working within the system.
Technological Integration
The stylistic approach was also developed with a strong emphasis on technological integration, ensuring that it could be seamlessly implemented in digital products and services. This included considerations for responsive design, interactivity, and other digital-first approaches. My role was to assist developers in their tasks.
Iterative testing
The test phase was crucial for the successful implementation and long-term sustainability of the design system, so a led:
functional testing to ensure that each component is tested to ensure it functions as intended across various scenarios and use cases.
accessibility еesting to ensure all components meet accessibility standards (like WCAG) to create inclusive designs.
usability testing to ensure components are easy to understand and implement.
feedback loop. I established a feedback mechanism to continuously gather input from users of the design system.
🌟 KPIs achieved
Development speed increased by 200%.
Before: Average feature development time = 6 weeks.
After: Average feature development time = 2 weeks.
Time to market reduced by 50%
Before: 6-12 months.
After: 3-6 months.
Integration time reduced by 75%
Before: 4 weeks.
After: 1 week.
50% reduction in maintenance time
Before: 200 hours per month.
After: 100 hours per month.
Return and retention of students in LMS
Leading achieving a 20% Rise in User Adoption, 15% Increase in Course Completion, and 25% Growth in Student and Faculty Satisfaction Within a Year
Case study