AI + Design Systems
A design system built only for people is easy for AI to get wrong.
Beautiful storytelling, visual examples, and decisions left between the lines all leave space for guesses. And guesses make messes.
We don’t have all the answers yet. But one thing is clear: we
have to be more intentional. Straightforward rules,
README files, component
guidance in code, design contracts, you name it.
The format matters less than the intent: we can’t ignore how machines read the system and just hope pray they make the right decisions.
- rule
- Make design system decisions explicit.
- why
- AI can’t read between the lines. When a decision is unwritten or unclear, it guesses.
- how
- There’s no single format. Pick one or more (rules, READMEs, guidance in code, design contracts) and keep each one straightforward.
That’s where my work is now: making design system decisions easier for people and AI to find, apply, and trust.
In practice:
turning our documentation checklist into a skill
and
my first Cursor command.