Design System Documentation
Best practices for documenting patterns, components, and design guidelines
What to Document in a Design System
A design system is more than a component library—it's a source of truth that includes principles, patterns, and best practices for building consistent products.
Component Documentation Structure
1. Overview
Brief description of what the component does and when to use it
Example: "Buttons trigger actions or navigate users to different parts of the interface. Use primary buttons for main actions and secondary for less important ones."
2. Variants
Show all available variations with visual examples
Include: Primary, secondary, ghost, destructive, sizes (sm, md, lg), states (default, hover, active, disabled, loading)
3. Usage Guidelines
When to use, when not to use, best practices
Format: Use bullet points with ✅ Do's and ❌ Don'ts sections
4. Anatomy
Break down component parts with labels
Show: Icons, labels, padding, spacing between elements with annotations
5. Accessibility
Document WCAG compliance and keyboard interactions
Include: ARIA labels, keyboard shortcuts, screen reader behavior, focus management
6. Code Examples
Provide copy-paste ready code snippets
Show: Basic usage, with icons, different sizes, loading states
Patterns vs Components
Components
Individual UI elements that can be reused
- • Buttons
- • Input fields
- • Cards
- • Modals
- • Tooltips
Patterns
Solutions to common design problems using multiple components
- • Form validation
- • Empty states
- • Search results
- • Onboarding flows
- • Error handling
Documentation Tips
Keep It Visual
Show, don't just tell. Include screenshots, diagrams, and interactive examples whenever possible.
Make It Searchable
Add tags, categories, and good titles so people can quickly find what they need.
Document the Why
Explain not just how to use something, but why certain decisions were made and when to break the rules.
Keep It Updated
Assign ownership and review docs regularly. Outdated documentation is worse than no documentation.
Design System Tools
Storybook
Document React/Vue/Angular components with live examples and controls
Figma
Create component libraries with variants and organize with pages and sections
Zeroheight
Connect Figma designs with code docs in a beautiful documentation site
Notion
Simple wiki-style documentation with embeds and collaboration features
Build Better Design Systems
Good documentation makes your design system actually usable by your team