Why you should name your design system

You may think that naming your design system isn’t one of the most important things to do at first. But what if I told you that you’re underestimating the importance of naming it? You would be surprised to see how it helps your design system’s adoption, engage your team, and brings much more value and sense. If you consider a design system a product (or an infrastructure), you must brand it properly.

Let’s find out why you should name your design system and how to find the right one that fits you.

“Design System” is a terrible name for design systems

One of design systems’ common issues is ensuring everyone will adopt them. I think part of the problem lies in the name “design system.” The word “design” in “design system” doesn’t help people see that it belongs to everyone, not just the design team. I wouldn’t be surprised if people think it’s only a “designer” thing and aren’t concerned by it.

Your design system shouldn’t be owned by a specific discipline, and the name shouldn’t specify a discipline either. An abstract name that doesn’t relate to a specific team, skill, or department is more helpful in ensuring your design system’s adoption. Most of the time, there is a significant difference before and after naming design systems. At first, developers, product managers, and other teams didn’t feel concerned or didn’t show interest in the design system project. But as soon as the design system’s identity is defined, it gets more people’s attention and intrigues them. Of course, choosing a name that is close to the brand’s values and means something to everyone is better. The idea would be to have people start to say things like “it’s a [design system name]’s question,” “how to add it in [design system name],” or “if this pattern should be [design system name]-ed.”

In her Design Systems book, Alla Kholmatova says that “Without a shared language, a group of people can’t create effectively together.” and I think it all starts with a design system name that shares the same vision and values for the whole organization.

Use storytelling for your design system

Embracing values

Finding a name for your design system is one thing; finding the right one that will rally your team around it is another thing. Jules Forrest shared her failed naming experience at 2020 Figma Config about renaming Credit Karma’s design system because the original name wasn’t efficient enough.

There are many ways to find a name, but this name must represent your brand’s identity, principles, and values. If you look at well-known design systems such as Lightning’s Salesforce, Adobe’s Spectrum, or Kiwi’s Orbit, they all display some principles their design system should embrace. As it behaves as a product in your organization, it’s not surprising that your design system has its own needs and values, and a good naming is based on principles.

You can even generate a design system name based on your values, thanks to Jonathan Lahue, who built this generator after a meeting about naming their design system.

Telling a story

You know you have found the perfect name for your design system when it tells a story. Whether it’s about its culture, a funny story, or a more logical reason, it’s always interesting to learn more about a design system and its company through a naming choice.

On Twitter, Jules Forrest shared some inspiring stories about the origin of the design system’s names. In the end, it’s not just a story you’re telling. It’s the reflection of your design’s culture and the vision you bring to your company.

Different approaches to naming your design system

So, how do you name your design system? According to Jules Forrest, there are three possible approaches: utilitarian, aspirational, and punny.

The utilitarian approach

Most utilitarian design systems have the name of the company in them, the design system word, or a reference to the interface it provides. Good examples of design systems using utilitarian names are Atlassian Design System, Dropbox Interface Guidelines and Lyft Product Language.

This approach might be helpful if your company is relatively new to design, and you must advocate for your design system step by step to ensure your teams adopt and use the system properly.

The aspirational approach

In this category, most names don’t necessarily refer to a particular company. As this category suggests, the goal is to inspire. That’s why the aspirational category includes names related to space, science, academia, or creative things like building, painting, or designing. Companies like IBM, Shopify, or Salesforce are good examples with their Carbon, Polaris, or Lightning aspirational names.

An aspirational approach may be a good fit if you have some visibility goals (external and internal) for your design system, such as recruitment, or because you want to showcase your work. As most design systems with an aspirational approach are public, your company’s brand needs to be powerful enough or comfortable enough to have a different identity for its design system. The goal of this aspirational approach is to inspire and live out the vision as well as to be visible.

The punny approach

Punny names for systems appear when the names refer to the company directly, its culture, or its industry. Decathlon’s Vitamin, Skyscanner’s Backpack, or Zendesk’s Garden are great examples of design systems using punny names. A popular approach for public systems is to give them fun names, but what works for a mature, public design system doesn’t necessarily work for a newly started one.

A punny approach makes sense when your system has been publicly published and is both used by internal and external users. The more design has a significant role in your company, the more a punny name makes sense because it relates to the company’s DNA, especially if you’re using your design system as a showcase for recruiting new talents.

The right approach is the one that fits you

Whether you pick a utilitarian, aspirational or punny approach, keep in mind that there isn’t a magic formula, and you don’t have to stick to just one of these categories. It won’t be a surprise if you think your design system is in-between two categories, for example.

Once again, a design system is a cultural thing. Defining its name is probably one of the first steps to set up what vision and philosophy your design culture should be at your organization. Every design system is different, and your approach to finding its name may not be the same for another design system. There isn’t a bad way to name your design system, and there is only the way that truly defines you, your team, and your culture.

Naming your design system for engagement

In the end, finding a name for your design system is not just about branding; it’s an opportunity to engage your people. Use it as a way to engage your teams and get them involved with it. If you’re running a brainstorming session to find your design system’s name, invite everyone to participate: designers, developers, marketing, communication, product managers… First, the more people contributing, the more ideas. Then, involving people in the building process of your design system will help with engagement, contribution, and adoption.
Now you know why it’s important to name your design system and how fun it can be, what will you name your design system?