Functions and the future of design systems
https://matthewstrom.com/writing/functions-in-design-systems
The most sophisticated design systems can provide instructions in multiple coding languages, with detailed documentation, with orderly, regular updates. But they’re still relatively static, needing a designer or engineer to interpret the documents and use them in the correct context. Today, when we put a design system to work, there’s no coupling; pushing one part doesn’t cause another to pull. There’s no interlocking or interconnection; no networks, feedback loops, or forces at play. And without those mechanisms, there’s no leverage, no simple machines multiplying force, no power in the output.