theProject.
Design Systems for Tiny Teams
Field Notes

Working observation / Web Craft

Design Systems for Tiny Teams

A tiny team does not need a 90-page design system. It needs repeatable decisions that keep every new page from starting over.

1 min readBy theProject.

A small studio design system should feel like a shared language, not a law book. It should answer the common questions quickly: spacing, buttons, cards, forms, states, and voice.

A tiny team token starter

Brand action

#e20074

Teaching signal

#05f2af

Quiet surface

#f4f4f6

button-contract.tsx
text
type ButtonTone = 'primary' | 'quiet' | 'danger'
 
export function toneClass(tone: ButtonTone) {
  return {
    primary: 'bg-primary text-primary-foreground',
    quiet: 'border border-border bg-background',
    danger: 'bg-destructive text-white'
  }[tone]
}

Continue through the notebook

All Field Notes →