California Design System
Meet the California Design System
This system makes it easy to build digital services that meet the needs of Californians.
What's in the Design System
Designing excellent services and products is hard. These best practices guide you in your journey.
Design systems are only as good as what goes in them. The content and design guides help you build quality services and products.
You do not have to reinvent the wheel every time you need a digital solution. The components solve common user needs for you.
What design systems do
They solve common problems digital teams commonly face. They combine UX principles, interface components, and code. Teams work faster, design better, and focus on new problems instead of old ones.
Make experiences consistent
Services that use a design system feel familiar. This helps people trust a service, even if it's new to them.
Build in accessibility and performance
Components meet WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards. They work well across a range of devices and internet speeds.
Give tested solutions
We test components before releasing them. This lets you deploy them with confidence.
Speak a common language
Shared names for components, patterns, and conventions increases collaboration within and across teams.
Leverage best practices
Design systems capture tried-and-true best practices and allow other teams to use them.
Use resources effectively
With common problems already solved, teams can speed through the basics. You do more with less time and budget.
Principles for people-centered services
Iterate, then iterate again
Principle 6
Services and products are never finished. Rigorously test and refine your work to make sure it’s robust and useful.
See all the principlesWho's using the Design System
Department of Cannabis Control
This site is the first implementation of Design System components. It proved the design system model works for state departments.
Broadband for All
The Design System allowed the Broadband for All team to plug-and-play with components on the homepage. With less time spent on engineering, the team could focus more on content and design.