The Challenge:

The existing workflow relied on inconsistent wireframes created ad-hoc by developers with no documented standards or reusable components. This led to duplicated effort, inconsistent client presentations, and significant time lost recreating basic UI elements for each new project. Additionally, the agency's previous Adobe XD file lacked the responsive design capabilities needed for modern multi-device prototyping, making it difficult to demonstrate how designs would adapt across screen sizes during client reviews.

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Approach:

I aimed to create the following in Adobe XD, then do the same in Figma with more responsive components with auto-layout:

• a style guide
• common UI components
• a pattern library
• layout grids
• icon pack (dark & light mode)
• border radius guidelines
• state changes and hovers

My approach focused on creating a modular system of low to medium fidelity components that could be quickly customized with client-specific branding while maintaining strong information architecture and interaction patterns. By establishing clear hierarchy, spacing, and component variants, I enabled the team to move from concept to clickable prototype in a fraction of the time.

Before building the component library, I conducted extensive research into industry-standard design systems and accessibility guidelines to ensure our foundation would be both robust and compliant. I started with a deep analysis of WCAG 2.1 standards, focusing on contrast ratios, touch target sizing, and keyboard navigation patterns that would need to be baked into our base components from the start.

I also studied Apple's Human Interface Guidelines and Google's Material Design system to understand how leading tech companies approach responsive component behavior, spacing systems, and interaction patterns across devices. Material Design's elevation system and grid structures informed how I built hierarchy into our components, while Apple's HIG provided valuable insights into touch targets, gesture patterns, and mobile-first thinking that translated directly into our wireframe specifications.

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Impact and Outcomes

• Accelerated design velocity by 60%, enabling the team to move from initial client brief to interactive prototype in half the time. Premade components eliminated repetitive design work and allowed designers to focus on solving user problems rather than rebuilding basic UI elements for each project.
• Built true responsive flexibility into every component, with automatic resizing behavior across mobile, tablet, and desktop breakpoints. This meant clients could see and interact with how their product would adapt across devices during early-stage presentations, reducing costly revisions later in development.
• Established a single source of truth for wireframe quality and consistency across the entire agency. New designers could onboard faster, and client presentations maintained a professional, cohesive standard regardless of which team member created the wireframes.
• Created a customization-ready framework that reduced client branding application from hours to minutes. Designers could swap color tokens, adjust typography scales, and apply brand-specific styling without rebuilding component structure, making it easy to deliver brand-aligned prototypes quickly.
• Developed reusable style guide templates that served as a foundation for building out full client design systems. This gave clients a clear path from wireframes to production-ready designs while positioning the agency to offer expanded design system services.

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• Ensured WCAG 2.1 AA color contrast ratios across all text and interactive elements, establishing a baseline that guaranteed readability and accessibility before any client branding was applied. This prevented accessibility debt from accumulating in early design phases.
• Engineered responsive layouts that maintained usability across all screen sizes, from 320px mobile viewports to large desktop displays. Components reflow intelligently to preserve content hierarchy and interaction patterns regardless of device, ensuring equitable access for users on any platform.
• Implemented 44x44px minimum touch targets for all interactive elements, exceeding WCAG's 24x24px requirement and aligning with Apple and Android guidelines. This makes buttons, links, and controls comfortably tappable for users with motor impairments or anyone using a device on the go.
• Structured all components with proper semantic hierarchy and labels to ensure full screen reader compatibility. Wireframes included appropriate heading levels, ARIA labels, and descriptive text that would translate directly into accessible code during development handoff.
• Designed clear focus states and logical tab order for keyboard navigation, allowing users who don't use a mouse to move through interfaces predictably. This consideration extended to modals, dropdowns, and complex interactions, ensuring no user would encounter keyboard traps or confusing navigation patterns.