I founded Carbon Design System, which later became the IBM design system. I built the core team and a broad community of contributors, in part by open-sourcing it to attract talent and trust. An earlier version of it won HOWDesign Best of Show Award in 2017. I led the strategy to encourage multiple different code implementations. I led an orderly transition through a major design language refresh, partnering with Mike who was in IBM Brand Experience at the time. (View his Carbon case study.) Working with Daniel, Matt, and the rest of the team, I drove adoption into 200+ IBM products. I was appointed IBM Distinguished Designer in 2018 (along with Mike).

Lots more story to tell about the people and the ups and downs, which I'll detail later. (A few people, starting from the earliest days: Jarrod, Matt, Tessa, Brian; then Bethany, Bethany, Anna, Mari, Chris, TJ, Tayler; then Robin, Josh, Alison, Chris, Jeannie, Vince, Jan, Shixie; then Lauren and Tracey... I'm probably forgetting many people and messing up the chronology. I'll refine the list over time.)

Scrapbook

The Value of Design Systems Study: Developer Efficiency and Design Consistency
We tested the ROI of design systems and found that they increase developer efficiency, create design consistency, and might even have an impact on the accessibility of the code.
Sparkbox
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"The median time for the scratch submissions was 4.2 hours compared to the 2 hour median time for Carbon submissions. The Carbon timing included the time the developers spent familiarizing themselves with the design system."

My strategy for driving adoption...

Jeoff Wilks on IBM’s Carbon Design System | Adobe XD Ideas
Learn how Jeoff Wilks of IBM uses the company’s Carbon Design System for improving customer experiences. Read more at Adobe XD Ideas.
Ideas

Won HOWDesign Best in Show (2017)

Complex Structures, Simple Compounds: IBM Design’s Carbon Design System - HOW
IBM’s Carbon Design System took the company’s design-centric philosophy to a whole new level—and took home Best of Show in HOW’s In-House Design Awards last year.
HOW DesignSarah Whitman

Won Red Dot Design Award (2022)

  • Note: award was received after my time and was based on v11. I owned the team from v1 to v10.
Red Dot Design Award: Carbon Design System
Red Dot