New York’s 2024 State of the State priorities got released today, and one of the key CX priorities is building a statewide design system.
A design system is critical front-end infrastructure that contributes to a better digital experience for NYS residents in many ways:
- Consistent front-end UI patterns means a more cohesive and trusted experience across applications and services, which means less confusion for residents and fewer support requests.
- A set of components with built-in accessibility testing and automation means a greater chance that the digital products being built are accessible for people with disabilities.
- A library of solved common problems that have been vetted and tested and made available for reuse means less risk, fewer errors, and less rework. Engineers and designers can focus their limited time on more complex problems.
- A standard approach to building components and a clear set of contribution guidelines results in a better template for reusable solutions that can be shared more broadly (both from in-house and vendor teams).
- Clear documentation and usage guidance doesn’t just provide support to engineers and designers around best practices, it also helps with onboarding and can increase productivity for new employees.
(I’m sure there are more that I’ve missed!)
To be clear, a design system won’t fix all problems. What ultimately matters is the usability and usefulness of the sites and applications that get built and presented to New York State residents; and a thoughtful, well-made design system is one foundational step in the right direction.
I’m excited to be a part of the team working on this… we’ve got our work cut out for us! Shout out to Jessica Houle, Luke Charde, Gabe Paley, Tonya Webster, and many others for helping get this prioritized. Here’s the full 2024 State of the State if you’d like to download and read it. CX initiatives start on page 149.