OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights ), a cornerstone of the United Nations, stands as a global advocate for human rights. With operations spanning the globe, maintaining a consistent and accessible digital presence is crucial to effectively communicate its mission and initiatives.
Axelerant partnered with OHCHR to establish a unified digital design system that would help them in their endeavor.
Understanding The Key Benefits Of A Design System
For OHCHR, the following key advantages of having a design system were identified:
- Efficiency and Agility: A standardized component library streamlines development processes, enabling the launch of new digital initiatives more rapidly. This agility is crucial in a tech-first world driven by responsiveness.
- Brand Coherence: A consistent design system reinforces the brand identity across all digital touchpoints. This strengthens the organization's recognition and credibility, making it easier for audiences to associate with its mission.
- Collaboration and Alignment: A design system fosters better collaboration among stakeholders by providing a shared language and framework. This ensures that everyone is working towards a common goal, reducing the risk of inconsistencies and misunderstandings.
- Enhanced User Experience: A well-designed interface improves the user experience, making it easier for visitors to navigate digital platforms and find the information they need. This ultimately leads to greater engagement and a more positive perception of the organization.
The Challenge : Fragmented Component Library
OHCHR’s existing UI component library was fragmented, leading to inconsistencies and communication challenges among stakeholders. The lack of a centralized repository for design assets hindered efficient maintenance and updates. This fragmented approach impacted the organization’s brand identity and compromised the user experience across its digital platforms.
The Solution: Standardising And Structuring Component Library
To address these challenges, OHCHR started the journey to standardize and structure its UI component library. The goal was to create a cohesive design system to streamline the development process, improve stakeholder collaboration, and enhance the overall user experience.
Key Components Of The Project:
- Inventory and Assessment: A comprehensive audit of existing UI components was conducted to identify inconsistencies, redundancies, and potential improvements.
- Standardization: A set of guidelines and principles were established to ensure consistency in design elements such as typography, color palettes, and spacing.
- Component Library Creation: A centralized repository was developed to house all standardized UI components, making them easily accessible to designers and developers.
- Documentation And Training: Clear documentation and training materials were created to educate stakeholders on the use of the new design system.
The Axelerant Methodology
To arrive at the solution, the first step was to engage with all relevant stakeholders, including designers, developers, testers, and executives, to understand their needs and expectations. This collaborative approach ensured that the design system would meet the requirements of all parties involved.
Axelerant conducted a thorough audit of the existing UI components was conducted to identify inconsistencies and redundancies. This audit provided the foundation for creating a standardized set of components that would be included in the design system.
Based on the audit, a centralized digital design system was developed. This system included a comprehensive library of standardized UI components, detailed documentation and guidelines for their use.
Centralized code snippets were integrated into the design system to address the issue of HTML implementation errors. These snippets ensured that all teams would use the same code, thereby eliminating discrepancies and ensuring a uniform user experience.
Conclusion
A unified design system is a strategic investment that can significantly enhance an organization's digital presence. By improving efficiency, strengthening brand identity, fostering collaboration, and enhancing user experience, OHCHR can leverage a design system to achieve its mission more effectively and impactfully.
The robust digital design system will serve as a one-stop shop for all design-related information. This system will enable the easy distribution of consistent design guidelines and components to all relevant stakeholders. By using centralized code snippets, the design system will help eliminate discrepancies in UI implementation, ensuring a uniform user experience across OHCHR’s digital platforms.
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