Enterprise Design System
Building a comprehensive design system that serves as the foundation for consistent, efficient, and scalable digital experiences across Guidewell’s entire product ecosystem.
Duration
4 Years+
My Role
System Designer
Components
2000+
Products
10+ Platforms
Project Overview
Creating the foundational design infrastructure for Guidewell's digital transformation
As Guidewell's digital products continued to scale across multiple brands, devices, and teams, the need for a unified design language became critical. The Digital Library project was born from the necessity to eliminate design debt, ensure consistency, and accelerate development across our growing digital ecosystem.
This ongoing 4-year initiative has evolved from addressing immediate inconsistencies to becoming the strategic foundation that enables rapid, scalable product development while maintaining the highest standards of accessibility and user experience.
-
40%
Reduction in development time
-
2000+
Reusable components created and documented
-
10+
Products using the system
-
90%
Team adoption rate
The Challenge
Growing design debt and inconsistencies were slowing development and fragmenting user experience
System Fragmentation Issues
HIPAA Compliance
All communications must meet strict healthcare privacy regulations with encrypted data transmission and secure storage.
Licensed Professional Access
Only verified, licensed nurses can provide health guidance through the platform.
Audit Trail Requirements
Complete conversation logging for quality assurance and regulatory compliance.
Member Authentication
Secure member verification to ensure protected health information reaches only authorized individuals.
Design Process & Solutions
Comprehensive UI components designed for consistency, accessibility, and scalability
Generative AI Enhancement
By integrating generative AI, we empowered nurses with intelligent, context-aware assistance that improves response quality while reducing cognitive load.
Inconsistent visual design
Components were recreated differently across projects, leading to a fragmented brand experience
Development inefficiency
Engineers rebuilt similar patterns from scratch, slowing delivery and increasing technical debt
Accessibility gaps
Without standardized components, maintaining WCAG compliance became increasingly difficult
Collaboration friction
Designers and developers lacked a shared language and common reference points
Quality inconsistencies
Variable implementation quality across different teams and projects
Maintenance overhead
Updates required changes across multiple codebases and design files
The absence of a centralized design system was creating compounding problems: every new feature required reinventing existing patterns, QA cycles were longer due to inconsistencies, and our brand experience was becoming increasingly fragmented across touchpoints.
Interactive Component
Buttons & Actions
Multiple states including hover, focus, disabled, and loading states for complete interaction coverage.
Form Elements
Card Components
Basic Card
Simple content container with consistent spacing and styling.
Interactive Card
Hover states and interaction feedback built-in.
Layout Systems
Responsive grid systems, spacing utilities, and layout components that ensure consistent alignment and proportions across all screen sizes and use cases.
Interactive Controls
Status & Feedback
UI Library Example
Honorable Results
-
40%
Reduction in development time
-
2000+
Reusable components created and documented
-
10+
Products using the system
-
90%
Team adoption rate