Enhancing Developers Experience (DevEx) for Successful Design System Implementation

Abstract

This paper presents a case study on adopting a custom design system (DS) in a research and development project, where resistance from the development team was encountered. To address this challenge, a user-centric approach was taken, treating the development team as the primary users of the design system. Through interviews with developers, their pain points were identified and addressed, resulting in a refined development process and successful design system implementation. This approach enhanced collaboration between the UX and development teams, fostering a sense of ownership among developers. The case study highlights the importance of understanding and empathizing with the development team’s needs when introducing a design system. It emphasizes the value of user research within the development team and the iterative refinement of the system based on user feedback. The insights from this experience provide valuable lessons for organizations aiming to bridge the gap between UX and development, promoting the adoption and utilization of design systems.

Keywords:

• Design system
• case study
• user experience
• development

Acknowledgements

It is important to note that this study is part of a large project, which consists of more than 60 people from several universities across Brazil, where the development team is composed of 15. The UX team comprises four people, of which two participated as active researchers in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 https://report.meiuca.co/.

2 https://react.dev/.

3 https://chakra-ui.com/.

4 https://www.figma.com/.

5 Pull-request, referring to a task in the development process.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by National Fund for Educational Development under the TED 10523.

Notes on contributors

Paula Palomino

Paula Palomino, a FATEC-Matão professor, specializes in HCI, UX, and Innovation. She has a Ph.D. in Computer Science, with expertise in IT Project Management and Audiovisual Communication. Her research focuses on HCI, UX, Gaming, and Computers in Education, and she has extensive industry experience in technology and innovation.

Murilo Fonseca

Murilo Fonseca holds a technical degree in Informatics from the Federal Institute of Alagoas and is pursuing a Computer Science degree at the UFPE. With years of experience as a user experience designer specializing in UI Design and Design Systems, he has contributed to technology companies and research labs.

Jefferson Souza

Jeferson Souza is a Computer Engineering student at UTFPR. With a technical degree in administration, his career began in residential security. Proficient in web development, he values collaboration and family. Inspired by those around him, he aims to pursue a master’s for continued growth.

Armando Toda

Armando Toda is a research assistant at Durham University. His main field of study includes, but it’s not limited to: human computer interaction, gamification, computers in education, artificial intelligence, and software engineering.

Rodrigo Lisboa Pereira

Rodrigo Lisboa Pereira is a professor Ph.D. at UFRA, leader of the Computational Technologies Laboratory (LabTeC), a researcher in Computational Intelligence and Software Engineering, and a member of the Center for Excellence in Social Technologies (NEES), working on projects with the Ministry of Education in Brazil.

Thiago Cordeiro

Thiago Cordeiro is a professor at the Federal University of Alagoas (Ufal), focuses on processing biomedical signals using AI for heart disease classification. He leads educational tech projects at NEES-UFAL and collaborates on evidence-based policies with the Brazilian Ministry of Education, earning UNESCO recognition in 2022 for innovative teaching methods.

Alan Pedro da Silva

Alan Pedro da Silva, assistant professor at the UFAL and founder of Eyeduc Inteligência Educacional, has a Ph.D. in Computer Science and completed postdoctoral work at the University of São Paulo. He leads a project for Brazilian educational councils and coordinates a Master’s Program focusing on AI in education.

Diego Demerval

Diego Dermeval an Adjunct Professor at UFAL with a Ph.D. from UFCG, specializes in Artificial Intelligence in Education. He has published over 50 articles and edited for the Brazilian Journal of Computers in Education. He is the vice director of NEES and a consultant to Brazil’s Ministry of Education.