A library is not a system
A folder of components is inventory. A system is inventory plus the rules that decide when each piece is used and who maintains it.
Without those rules, teams fork components the moment a design does not fit, and the library quietly becomes decoration.
Tokens before components
Semantic tokens — surface, foreground, accent, danger — outlive any particular button. Name them by role rather than by value so a rebrand is a token change, not a refactor.
Hard-coded hex values in components are the single most common reason a system cannot be themed later.
Document the decision, not just the prop
Every component page should answer when not to use it. That single section prevents most misuse and saves reviewers repeating themselves.
- Design systems
- Tokens
- Accessibility
