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Why Saas scale-ups need design system- Teardown of Clari’s first impression !

6 min readJan 11, 2024
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You have an amazing software Clari , but a dedicated design system team is overdue !

Ignore design systems and here’s the risk:

🥹Clunky, confusing onboarding: Users get lost and frustrated.

Imagine a new adventurer, eager to explore your wondrous product.

They step through the portal, excited to embark on a grand journey.

But instead of a welcoming map, they find themselves in a tangled jungle of confusing buttons and cryptic menus.

Paths branch in a dozen directions, each leading to frustration and bewilderment.

Lost and discouraged, our adventurer gives up, leaving your fantastic product gathering dust in the corner of their digital world.

That’s the peril of clunky onboarding — a lost chance to spark excitement and guide users on their path to success.

Don’t let your product become a forgotten land locked in confusion.

👉 Craft a clear, welcoming onboarding experience and watch your adventurers embark on a joyful journey from the very first click.

🥹Slow, painful updates: Progress crawls at a snail’s pace.

imagine you’re building a fort in your living room with blankets and pillows! It’s going to be your own mini-kingdom, filled with toys and adventures.

Now, picture making the fort without any rules or plans. You might use different kinds of blankets, some too big, some too small. The pillows might fall down, and finding your favorite toys could be a wild treasure hunt! It would be fun, but maybe a little frustrating too.

That’s like ignoring a design system. It’s like building your fort without knowing where things go or how they fit together. It might work, but it could be messy and confusing.

But now, imagine having a special “fort kit” with everything you need — the right sizes of blankets, pillows that stay up, and maybe even cool flags and lights! Building your fort would be so much easier and faster, right? You could focus on the fun stuff — like making a secret entrance or adding a throne for your stuffed animals.

That’s what a design system does! It gives everyone building the product — programmers, designers, even people who write stories like me — a special kit of tools and rules. It makes everything consistent and easy to understand, like a big box of Legos that magically fit together!

So, even though ignoring the design system might seem like a shortcut, it’s like building your fort without a plan. A good design system makes things smoother, faster, and even more fun for everyone involved, just like having the perfect fort-building kit!

Remember, making things clear and easy to use is important, even for grown-ups building products! Just like your awesome fort, it should be a place where everyone feels welcome and excited to explore.

Does that make sense?

👉 Feel free to ask any other questions you have about building forts or design systems! I’m always happy to chat with curious young minds like yours.

🥹Brand inconsistency: Your message gets muddled and diluted.

Imagine you’re telling your friends about the coolest superhero ever — Captain Raj! You describe him as super strong, with a flying shield and a friendly smile. But then, your neighbour tells your friends a different story: Captain Raj has laser eyes and eats pizza for breakfast! Now everyone’s confused about who the real Captain Raj is, right?

That’s what can happen with a brand without a design system. It’s like telling different stories about Captain Raj with different colours and voices. Some people might see him on a bright green poster with a grumpy scowl, while others might see him on a blue website with a wink and a thumbs-up. It’s confusing and messy!

A design system is like your Captain Raj handbook. It tells everyone — artists, writers, even people who make clothes for Captain Raj — exactly how he looks, what he says, and what he does. It helps keep your message clear and consistent, like a perfectly-drawn picture of Captain Raj in his awesome red and gold suit.

So, even though ignoring the design system might seem like a funny adventure, it’s like telling mixed-up stories about your favourite superhero. A good design system keeps your brand strong and easy to remember, just like having a clear picture of Captain Raj in everyone’s mind! And when your brand is strong and clear, even more people can join you on your superhero adventures!

Does that make sense? Remember, a clear and consistent brand message is important, even for grown-ups! Just like making sure everyone knows exactly how awesome Captain Raj is.

🥹Accessibility gaps: You exclude valuable users, hurting potential.

Imagine you’re building a sandcastle on the beach! It’s going to be amazing, with towers and moats and maybe even a little bridge. But what if some of your friends can’t reach the bridge because it’s too high, or their toys get stuck in the sand because it’s too soft? That wouldn’t be very fun, would it?

Ignoring a design system is like building a sandcastle without thinking about everyone. It might look cool to you, but some people might not be able to enjoy it the same way. Maybe the buttons are too small for tiny fingers, or the words are too hard to read for kids learning to spell.

A design system is like a special set of tools that helps everyone play in the sand! It makes sure the towers are strong enough for everyone to climb, the moats are safe to jump into, and the bridge has steps even little legs can handle. Everyone gets to be part of the fun, and that’s what makes sandcastle building extra special!

So, even though building without a system might seem faster, remember that a good design system helps us include everyone, just like a perfect set of sandcastle tools! It makes everything more fun and fair for all our friends on the beach, and that’s what really matters.

Does that make sense? Feel free to ask any other questions you have about building sandcastles or design systems! I’m always happy to chat with curious young minds like yours.

🥹Communication breakdowns: Teams work at cross-purposes.

Imagine you and your friends are building a sandcastle on the beach, but each of you has your own idea of what it should look like! One wants a tall tower, another wants a moat, and the third wants a secret tunnel. You start digging and building, but things get messy because everyone’s working in different directions. Walls crumble, towers topple, and the moat looks more like a puddle. In the end, you haven’t built a cool sandcastle, just a confusing pile of sand.

That’s what happens when teams work at cross-purposes. Without a design system, it’s like everyone playing in the sandcastle with their own set of tools and plans. Things get confusing, progress slows down, and nobody’s happy with the final result.

But if you all agree on a plan and use the same tools (buckets, shovels, shells), building the sandcastle becomes fun and easy! You can share ideas, help each other out, and create something truly amazing. That’s the power of a design system — it’s like having a shared sandcastle building plan that everyone follows, making teamwork smooth and the final result a masterpiece!

So remember, even grown-ups building websites and apps need a plan to work together. Just like your awesome sandcastle team, they need a design system to keep things clear, fun, and successful!

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Wanna a learn UX of Onboarding? Let’s connect! Please mention “Learner” in your connect request.

Find me on LinkedIn: ➡️https://www.linkedin.com/in/productdesigneronboardingux/➡️

I offer comprehensive UI/UX onboarding audits and consultations, tailored specifically for product managers, Startups, and Product designers in Europe and the US.

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HSProdesign
HSProdesign

Written by HSProdesign

Product Design (UX/UI) Onboarding Consultant. Contact ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/productdesigneronboardingux/ ⬅️

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