“So, what exactly is DSM, you might wonder? This term often surfaces in discussions surrounding style guides and design frameworks. But how pivotal is it in our quest to align with contemporary UX design patterns? Is it a genuine concern for designers? Let’s embark on a deep exploration of this concept and its relevance within the realm of UX design.
Throughout the UX journey, there arises a necessity to adhere to specific methodologies and process flows for conducting thorough UX research and collecting pertinent information. This entails following specific metrics, conducting usability tests, and engaging in analyses to ultimately craft a well-balanced information design and architecture.
Similarly, at the outset of our design ideation, we must gather design-related elements such as color schemes, branding elements, typography choices, and structural components.
Once these foundational elements are established, the subsequent phase involves enriching each design area with additional details.
Colors
Upon establishing primary colors, the subsequent steps entail defining secondary, tertiary, and optional shades. Primary colors often find their purpose in crucial actions and highlights. In a parallel vein, secondary base colors can serve secondary actions, titles, labels, and the like. While there isn’t a rigid prescription dictating this process, it’s indispensable to establish a hierarchy and guidelines to ensure their judicious use in the design process.
Typography
The selection of a font system plays a pivotal role in design, as it endeavors to amplify the visual appeal, readability, tone, and emotional resonance of textual content. The task of selecting the appropriate font style a
nd outlining its usage bears an equal weight to that of choosing colors.
Structure
Depending on the content’s nature and prominence, a layout for the design needs to be meticulously crafted to guide users in their consumption of information. Assuring that users comprehend the website’s objectives contributes significantly to an enhanced user experience, fostering ease and efficiency in their interaction with our design.
Interactive Elements
Our design invariably incorporates an array of interactive elements, encompassing CTAs, sliders, form elements, charts, and feedback mechanisms tailored to each. Ensuring that all these elements adhere harmoniously to a predefined color scheme, motion design, and feedback mechanisms guarantees coherence, sophistication, and accessibility in the design.
The insights provided thus far encompass three-quarters of the ‘Design Management System.’ The remaining one-quarter encompasses the framework, which delves deeper into accessibility considerations, interactions, micro-interactions, transitions, and feedback loops.
While this framework may appear to impose certain constraints on a designer’s creative thinking, it serves as the cornerstone for cultivating consistency, a paramount aspect of any exceptional user experience.”