dunnhumby


Laying the strategic foundations of a future design system.

Date 2024

Need

When we started talking to dunnhumby about UI and the evolution of their product ecosystem, they presented us with a question: how can we establish foundational requirements for a future design system?

We kicked off an in-depth discovery to gain a full understanding of the client’s historical context and challenges. This meant we’d be in the position to make the most useful recommendations possible to help keep the client on a successful path.

Action

We need to collaborate closely with dunnhumby’s stakeholder to arrive at the most useful recommendations. This meant:

  • Analysing existing component libraries, brand guidelines, and user interfaces
  • Documenting tech stacks
  • Evaluating Design and DesignOps tools, such as Figma and zeroheight
  • Assessing release strategies and design-engineering handoffs

Our findings were synthesised into a comprehensive report, which we refined and presented regularly as new insights emerged.

Outcome

The report was successful in:

  • Articulating the current state of dunnhumby’s UI
  • Making recommendations for managing the existing component library
  • Providing strategic guidance for the direction of future design system

This enabled UI and product efforts to accelerate, helping them quickly progress to implementing next steps and higher-level recommendations.

Our involvement progressed into:

  • Developing the foundations for a new design system
  • Highlighting product implications
  • Helping establish the new internal design system team

How can we help?