Design systems can play a pivotal role in fostering inclusivity within a company.

Promoting consistency and collaboration

Nucleus, our design system, is more than just a set of guidelines and components. It’s a catalyst for collaboration, bringing together teams from business units that would otherwise have few opportunities to discuss similar design challenges.

We encourage this collaboration through both online and offline channels. Our online community channels serve as a platform for continuous dialogue, where team members can share ideas, ask questions, and learn from each other.

In addition to these channels, we also host two regular sessions that further promote this collaborative spirit:

Proposals Review

In these sessions, we discuss proposals for changes and additions to Nucleus. These discussions are not limited to the design system team; they are open to the entire design and engineering community.

This inclusive approach ensures that decisions about Nucleus are made collectively, considering diverse perspectives and experiences.

Drop-in Clinique

In these sessions, the community has direct access to the entire design system team to discuss anything related to Nucleus.

These cliniques provide an opportunity for team members to seek advice, clarify doubts, and gain deeper insights into the design system. Through these initiatives, Nucleus is not just driving consistency in design and development, but also trying to instill a culture of inclusivity and collaboration across the organisation. By giving everyone a voice in shaping our design system, we ensure that Nucleus truly reflects the needs and challenges of our diverse teams and users.

Facilitating accessibility

Inclusivity is not just about including different teams in the conversation, but also about making sure the products we build are accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities.

At the heart of Nucleus is a commitment to accessibility. Our design system is guided by the experience principle “Leave no one out”. This principle reflects our dedication to creating components that are accessible to all, taking into account different types of barriers — sensory, cognitive, physical, temporary, or permanent.

We strive to ensure that all our components not only read correctly through assistive technology but also convey the same message as they would visually. This commitment to accessibility goes beyond just the components themselves. It’s about building an understanding and empathy within our community towards those who use these technologies.

To help achieve this, we offer tools for the community to test their designs using assistive technology. These tools allow designers and developers to experience first-hand how their designs are interpreted by these technologies. This not only helps them to make more accessible products but also to have a better understanding of the impact of their designs.

By putting accessibility at the core of everything we do with Nucleus, we are not just making our products more inclusive — we are also promoting a culture of inclusivity within our community.

Empowering decision-making

By providing clear guidelines and principles, design systems empower individuals to make easy decisions. This can bring a sense of ownership and inclusion among team members who might otherwise feel excluded from the decision-making process.

Nucleus is not just a design system; it’s a platform for collective decision-making. We believe that the evolution of Nucleus should be a shared responsibility, not confined to the Nucleus team alone.

We encourage everyone: engineers, designers, and members from every business unit to contribute to its evolution. This includes agreeing on changes, additions, and removals. By doing so, we ensure that Nucleus reflects the collective wisdom of our diverse teams and meets the needs of all users.

This approach not only enriches Nucleus with diverse perspectives and ideas, but it also empowers individuals by giving them a voice in the process. It creates a sense of ownership and inclusion among team members who might otherwise feel excluded from such processes. We believe it makes our design system stronger and more comprehensive. It also opens a more inclusive and collaborative environment within our company.

Encouraging diversity

Design systems can be built to be flexible and adaptable, accommodating a variety of user needs, preferences, and contexts. This flexibility can encourage diversity in design and development, leading to more innovative and inclusive solutions.

Diversity is not just about gender, culture, and abilities; it’s also about roles within the organization. As a design system that serves our digital teams, Nucleus aims to embrace diversity in roles, including product engineering, QA testing, service and experience design, and more.

By including everyone, we ensure that Nucleus is shaped by a wide range of perspectives and experiences. This diversity leads to a more robust and comprehensive design system that can better serve the needs of our diverse user base.

Moreover, this diversity in roles fosters a sense of belonging among team members. It sends a strong message that everyone, regardless of their role, has a valuable contribution to make to Nucleus.

In conclusion

Design systems can be a powerful tool for driving inclusivity in a company. By promoting collaboration, facilitating accessibility, empowering decision-making, and encouraging diversity, design systems can help create a more inclusive and diverse environment.

Remember, inclusivity is not a one-time effort but a continuous process of learning, adapting, and growing. As we continue to evolve our design systems, we must also continue to strive for greater inclusivity in our teams and our products.