Design Systems in Drupal

More Efficiency and Consistency for Your Project

In the world of web development, efficiency and consistency are essential - especially when it comes to complex platforms like Drupal. Design systems play a central role: They simplify collaboration between design and development teams and speed up the entire project process.

In this article, we explain why design systems are so valuable, especially in combination with Drupal, and how they help you implement flexible, scalable, and brand-compliant web projects.

Why Design Systems in Drupal?

Design systems play a central role in the development of modern web applications. Particularly in Drupal projects, they help ensure visual consistency and efficient workflows. Without a well-thought-out system, projects risk stalling due to inconsistent interfaces, labor-intensive maintenance, and inefficient processes.

Design systems offer a unified "language," clear guidelines, and easily accessible resources. By using design systems, misunderstandings are avoided, iterations are facilitated, and a deeper understanding of design decisions is promoted.

A well-implemented design system ensures that all design elements—from buttons to complex layouts—are reusable and brand-compliant. This saves time and resources, creating a consistent user experience.

Michael Schenkyr, UX/UI Designer

Designsysteme sind einfach genial! Statt immer wieder das Rad neu zu erfinden, können wir auf bewährte Bausteine zurückgreifen. Für uns ist es der ideale Weg, Projekte effizient und zukunftssicher zu gestalten.

What is a Design System?

A design system is a structured collection of design elements and principles used to create digital products consistently and user-friendly. It serves as a central resource for designers, developers, and other team members to work uniformly and efficiently.

A design system includes:

Design Principles

Guidelines that keep design and user experience in alignment with company values.

Visual Guidelines

Specifications for color palettes, typography, icons, and other visual elements for a consistent presentation.

Components

Reusable building blocks such as buttons, forms, and cards that enable efficient development.

Accessibility 

Standards that ensure the product is accessible to all users, regardless of their limitations.

Documentation

Description of all mentioned elements as a reference for all team members.

Tools

Modern tools like Figma, Wingsuit (our own component library), Storybook, and Drupal, which support collaborative work.

Benefits of Design Systems

Consistency

A design system ensures that all aspects of a product or brand are designed consistently. This creates a uniform appearance and seamless user experience across different platforms, devices, and media.

Efficiency

Reusable components significantly accelerate the development of new pages and features. Teams can focus on creative and strategic tasks rather than repeatedly creating basic elements.

Scalability

A good design system grows with the needs of your project. New components can be easily added without disrupting existing structures.

Drupal Integration

Thanks to its flexibility and modularity, Drupal is excellently suited for implementing design systems. Reusable components can be seamlessly integrated into the Drupal-Layout-Builder, greatly simplifying content management.

How Design Systems and Drupal Work Together

Drupal is Component-Based

Starting with version 10, Drupal is component-based. The core module "Single Directory Components (SDC)" allows for the implementation of components within Drupal. All files required for the output of a component are grouped together in a server directory.

This allows designers, developers, and editors to leverage all the advantages of the design system while creating and editing content.

Drupal Layout Builder

The Drupal Layout Builder enables quick and straightforward creation and maintenance of websites—without any programming knowledge. When combined with our custom design systems, we can develop and provide individual components that meet your needs.

The intuitive structure of the Layout Builder gives you maximum flexibility in website maintenance. Templates can be created and saved with just a few clicks, significantly speeding up content creation. Changes to design elements such as spacing or colors can be globally adjusted in the design system—simple, efficient, and timely.

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Learn more about the Layout Builder

Scenarios

How We Support You

We offer comprehensive services for the development and implementation of design systems in Drupal. From analyzing your requirements to creating flexible UI components and integrating them into your existing platform, we support you every step of the way.

Redesign

We develop design systems for companies and products that are built from the ground up.

From the concept phase and wireframing to screen design and interactive prototypes, we offer you comprehensive design services.

Redesign

If your website is outdated, inconsistent, or lacks appeal, it negatively impacts the user experience.

Our experienced team revamps your existing application and develops a precise, future-proof design system.

Implementation

If your brand or products lack a consistent visual language, we develop a design system that gives a unified appearance.

This creates design coherence and a better user experience, strengthening your brand.

Conclusion

A well-thought-out design system is the key to a successful and sustainable digital presence. It facilitates collaboration between teams, saves resources, and ensures a consistent user experience.

With the right strategy and an experienced partner like keytec, you can fully unlock the potential of your Drupal project.