design-system-doc

Overview

Based on "Atomic Design" by Brad Frost. A design system is not a component library - it's a shared language. Frost's insight: components without documentation are just code. Documentation is what transforms a component library into a system that a whole team can use consistently without needing to ask the original designer.

Design system documentation has two audiences: designers who need to use the pattern correctly, and engineers who need to implement it accurately. Write for both.

Workflow

Step 1: Establish the entry structure

Every design system entry should follow the same structure so team members can predict where to find information: