Work Area
UI/UX and Product Design
We design the screens people use, the UI (user interface), and how it feels to get something done on them, the UX (user experience). Our design work rests on a system: research with real users, testing before building, and a shared kit of parts so every screen stays consistent.
- 1,200+ clients helped
- Building since 2010
- 15 services, one team
- 50+ technologies
At a glance
What we build
We build the working system behind good screens: user research, prototypes, testing, and a shared kit of parts that keeps every UI (user interface) and UX (user experience) consistent.
Problems we solve
Screens designed one at a time drift apart, new features look different from old ones, and design decisions are argued about, not tested.
Who we serve
Product teams whose screens have become inconsistent, and organizations about to build several related screens or apps.
How to choose
Build a small design system when you have more than a handful of screens. Test with users before building.
In practice
A shared kit that keeps screens consistent
We build design systems: a shared set of parts and rules for screens, with colors, type, components, layouts, and guidance on using them, so many people can make screens that look and behave alike.
Without one, each new screen is invented fresh. The result is a product whose buttons differ, whose forms behave differently, and whose new features feel as if they came from elsewhere.
With one, new screens are quicker to make and easier to learn, because people meet the same parts in the same places.
What a design system contains
A design system connected to: Principles: How the product should feel.; Colors and type: The basic choices.; Components: Buttons, forms, and menus.; Patterns: Tested page layouts.; Guidance: How and when to use each part.; Code: Matching parts for developers..
- PrinciplesHow the product should feel.
- Colors and typeThe basic choices.
- ComponentsButtons, forms, and menus.
- PatternsTested page layouts.
- GuidanceHow and when to use each part.
- CodeMatching parts for developers.
Often built with
The practice
Research, test, build: what each gives you
| Activity | What happens | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| User research | We talk to and watch real users. | A clear list of what people need and where they struggle. |
| Prototyping | We make clickable models of screens. | Ideas you can try before anything is built. |
| Usability testing | We watch people attempt real tasks. | A ranked list of what to fix. |
| Design system | We build the shared kit. | Faster, more consistent screens. |
How it fits
From a design to a working screen
The design system sits between designers and developers, so both build from the same parts.
From a design to a working screen
Layers from top to bottom. Principles; Basic choices; Components; Screens.
- PrinciplesWhat the product should feel like.
- Basic choicesColors, type, and spacing, held as shared values.
- ComponentsReady-made parts, designed and built once.
- ScreensAssembled from components, tested with users.
A typical example
Three products that finally feel alike
A typical case is a company with a website, a customer portal, and a staff tool, each designed by a different person. Buttons differ in all three, and users forget how to do things when they move between them.
A design system could unify them. Staff and customers would find the same buttons, forms, and messages everywhere, and new features would be quicker to add.
Common questions
Questions about design systems
Is a design system only for large products?
No. A small one, with colors, type, and a dozen components, helps as soon as you have more than a handful of screens.
Who maintains it?
It needs an owner. We can set it up and train your team, or continue to look after it with you.
Will it slow us down?
At first it adds work. After that, new screens are quicker, because parts are ready and decisions are already made.
Have a different question?
Tell us what you are weighing up and we will answer it plainly.
Ask a questionAlready a client? Email support@dechytech.com
Show us the screens that feel inconsistent
Share a few screens that confuse people or do not match. We will suggest how to bring them into one clear system.