Top Design System Examples to Learn From (2025 Edition)
May 13, 2025
Design systems aren’t theoretical anymore.
They’re the foundation of scalable, consistent products.
But if you’ve ever wondered how leading teams actually structure their systems, this post is for you.
We’ve rounded up the best real-world design system examples to inspire your own — from enterprise giants to minimalist solutions.
🧩 1. Google Material Design
Why it works:
Unified style across platforms
Deep documentation on behavior, motion, and interaction
A token-driven system used by Android, Gmail, and beyond
🧩 2. Apple Human Interface Guidelines
Why it works:
Focused on platform-native behaviors
Prioritizes clarity, depth, and subtle delight
Updated regularly for iOS, macOS, visionOS
🔗 developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines
🧩 3. Atlassian Design System
Why it works:
Modular components with clear anatomy
Smart writing system and tone guidance
Developer-ready with live examples
🧩 4. Shopify Polaris
Why it works:
Commerce-first mindset (pricing, checkout, dashboards)
Detailed content, accessibility, and UX rules
Theming system built on design tokens
🧩 5. IBM Carbon
Why it works:
Open-source with deep technical foundations
Designed for enterprise UI complexity
Heavily reliant on tokens, spacing logic, and accessibility layers
🧩 6. Salesforce Lightning
Why it works:
Component-heavy system for data-rich enterprise apps
Tightly integrated with product and dev workflows
Prioritizes productivity, modularity, and logic
🧩 7. Sigma Design System
Why it works:
Modular, clean, and intentionally minimal
Built around token logic and Figma variables
Designed for solo designers, teams, and startups alike
Offers both starter and complete kits
“We didn’t just build UI — we built a system for clarity.”
🧭 What to Learn from These Systems
Principle | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
Token-Driven Logic | Enables themes, modes, and code alignment |
Component Modularity | Makes systems scalable and reusable |
Documentation | Drives adoption and reduces support debt |
Content & Accessibility | Good systems guide more than UI |
📘 Want to Start With a Clean System?
Sigma Design System is built with the same thinking — but without the enterprise complexity.
Minimal, clear, and easy to scale.
Use it as your starting point, or your upgrade.
2025 Sigma. All rights reserved. Created with hope, love and fury by Ameer Omidvar.