Compreendendo os critérios de criação de um Design System: heurísticas para inclusão de componentes em sistemas de design de interação

Abstract

The Design System (DS) has emerged as a tool that enables the standardization of digital interfaces, optimizing the development process (KHOLMATOVA, 2017). However, very few studies point toward heuristics that guide the management of a DS—currently, each designer creates their own heuristics empirically. Therefore, this research seeks to answer the following question: what criteria should designers consider when including new components in a Design System? The main objective is to develop a list of heuristics for selecting components for a DS. To achieve this, three specific objectives will be pursued: (1) describe the stages of creating a DS, (2) identify the criteria used in component selection, and (3) systematize these criteria into a set of applicable heuristics. This study is grounded in General Systems Theory (BERTALANFFY, 1996), which provides the theoretical foundation to understand the systemic nature of DSs, as well as in the concepts of design patterns formulated by Christopher Alexander. These concepts are reinterpreted in the field of digital design by authors such as Borchers (2001), with the aim of analyzing the organization and reuse of recurring solutions. The methodology consists of a case study conducted within a company with a long-standing history, in which interviews were carried out to understand the process of creating and maintaining Design Systems. The interviews were analyzed through content analysis and triangulated with findings from a systematic literature review. As a contribution, this study aims to provide a theoretical-practical tool to support the management of Design Systems, promoting greater clarity, consistency, and sustainability in the evolution of these systems within organizational contexts.