Problem: UI patterns were inconsistent, difficult to scale, and costly to maintain
Role: Senior UX Designer, design system lead
Scope: Enterprise web products, internal tools, cross-team adoption
Outcome: Faster design and development, improved consistency, and a shared foundation used across teams
Where Drift Began
As the product suite grew, UI patterns evolved independently across teams. Components were duplicated, styles drifted, and design decisions were often re-litigated from scratch. While teams were moving quickly, the lack of a shared system made it harder to maintain consistency and scale confidently.
Design and engineering teams felt this friction daily. Small changes required outsized effort, and even simple updates risked visual or behavioral inconsistencies across products. What started as flexibility became a source of drag.
The need for a shared foundation became clear: not to slow teams down, but to help them move faster with confidence.
When the Old System Started Showing Its Limits
The existing approach wasn’t broken, but it wasn’t built for scale.
Components existed in multiple variations without clear ownership
Visual inconsistencies increased as new features shipped
Engineers often rebuilt UI patterns rather than reuse existing ones
Designers spent time maintaining alignment instead of solving new problems
As the number of teams and products increased, these issues compounded. Without a system, speed and quality were constantly in tension.
What We optimized For
The goal wasn’t to create a perfect design system upfront. It was to build something practical that teams could actually use.
Rather than aiming for exhaustive coverage, we focused on creating a flexible foundation that could grow over time.
Key priorities
Consistency: Shared patterns that reduced fragmentation across products
Efficiency: Faster design and development through reuse
Clarity: Clear guidance around when and how components should be used
Scalability: A system that could support new teams, products, and use cases
This approach allowed us to make progress without blocking teams or over-engineering the solution.
As Drift expanded across the organization, these outcomes reflect improvements in speed, consistency, and collaboration.
Framing the system work in terms of speed, consistency, and long-term cost.
Guidelines focused on intent and usage, not just listing what exists.
My Role in Shaping the System
I led the design system effort from early framing through execution and adoption.
This included auditing existing UI patterns, defining foundational components, and working closely with engineering partners to ensure designs translated cleanly into code. I also partnered with product teams to understand their needs and identify where the system could provide immediate value.
Beyond building components, I focused on establishing a shared understanding of our goals and alignment, documenting decisions, clarifying usage, and helping teams adopt the system without disrupting active work.
Reflections & Impact
Drift changed how teams approached building products. Instead of repeatedly solving the same UI problems, teams shared a foundation that supported consistent, high quality work at scale.
The biggest impact wasn’t just efficiency; it was confidence. Teams could ship faster, knowing the system would support them as products and requirements evolved.
The Important Matters
A type system designed for clarity and reuse across multiple products.
A simple articulation of what Drift needed to support as it scaled.
A color foundation built for consistency, accessibility, and growth.
A standardized hierarchy to remove ambiguity and enforce consistency.