Design System Rebuild

Helly Hansen had a design system that existed in name only. Teams across the organization had stopped using it — designers created one-off solutions, developers implemented their own interpretations, and the gap between design and code kept widening. Documentation was sparse, components were outdated, and there was no single source of truth.

Started with a comprehensive audit of the existing system and how teams were (or weren't) using it. Interviewed designers and developers to understand pain points. Key insight: the problem wasn't the components themselves — it was the lack of clear guidance on when and how to use them. Built a roadmap prioritizing documentation and developer handoff over new components.

Created "Future State" — a unified design system covering both brand guidelines and UI components. Key deliverables: modernized component library in Figma with variants and auto-layout, developer-ready specifications with code snippets, usage guidelines explaining when to use each component, and regular education sessions with internal teams.

~80% of product teams actively using the system within 6 months. Design-to-dev handoff time reduced by ~40%. Consistent brand expression across hellyhansen.com. Self-serve documentation reduced design review bottlenecks.

The biggest lesson: a design system is only as good as its adoption. Technical excellence means nothing if teams don't use it. Investing heavily in documentation and education — not just components — was the key to success. If I did it again, I'd start the developer education even earlier in the process.