Design system foundations brief
Define the shared visual and interaction foundations that keep products consistent across teams and platforms.
Design systems · 45 min · Advanced · 32 questions
Principles
Which principles should guide recurring design decisions?
Which design trade-offs need a shared answer?
Which products and platforms will use these foundations?
Color
Which meaning should each color role convey?
Which interaction states need color roles?
Which color themes must the system support?
Which contrast targets must every theme meet?
Which non-color cues should the foundation provide?
Typography
Which content roles need their own text style?
Which writing systems must the type choices support?
How should type adapt across viewport sizes?
How should type adapt to denser interfaces?
How should layouts respond to larger user text settings?
Spacing and layout
Which spacing scale should the system use?
Which grids are needed?
What should determine a layout breakpoint?
How wide should content containers become?
Which device safe areas must layouts respect?
How should layouts reflow when people zoom?
Motion and icons
What purposes may motion serve?
Which motion durations should be available?
What should replace motion when it is reduced?
Which performance limits should motion respect?
Icons
Which grid should icons use?
Which stroke or fill style should icons follow?
How should icons be named?
When does an icon need a text alternative?
Sources and release
Where is the authoritative system source?
How will design and code sources stay in sync?
Who approves a foundation release?
Which reference examples must pass before release?
Which assistive settings must be tested?
How to use this brief
Use this brief as a bank of questions for the conversation. Choose what is relevant, mark covered questions as you go, and skip anything that has already been answered.
Use this brief when...
Use when establishing the base architecture, principles, and ownership of a design system.
Best used as: Live call · Async intake
- Category
- Design systems
- Discussion time
- 45 minutes
- Depth
- Advanced
- Last updated
- Jul 21, 2026
- Scope
- Design briefs
- Best used as
- Live callAsync intake
- Design roles
- Design systems designer
- Audience
- Design leadsProduct designersUX and UI designers
- Platforms
- Design toolsWebiOSAndroid
- Company type
- B2BB2CEnterprise
- Product stage
- GrowthMature product
- Tags
- design-systemsdesign-system-foundationssystems-and-platformsnew-design-systemfoundation-alignment