Developing a robust Design System at Oracle called Webstandards
Enterprise-level digital design system developed during my tenure at Oracle
During my transformative decade at Oracle, I led a dynamic team of innovative digital designers and talented coders. Our teamwork culminated in several accomplishments, but developing the ‘Webstandards’ design systems stands out. A tribute to our team’s synergy, these systems epitomize our coordinated effort, strategic vision, and creative execution. Notably, our exceptional coding team’s ability to transform designs into a fully functional system played an invaluable role in this project’s success. Indeed, ‘Webstandards’ embodies our professional prowess and stands as a key testament to our collective capabilities.
The Production Problem
At the outset, our team coped with numerous work requests for enterprise-level projects, each demanding a design from the ground up. Such a process was not only time-consuming but also inhibited the scalability of our operations, prompting the need for a unified solution.
Solution: Webstandards
Addressing this challenge led us to conceive ‘Webstandards’, a shared design language that catered to diverse project needs while maintaining Oracle’s brand identity. The system comprised templates (providing a fixed design structure) and components (individual UI elements) that allowed a flexible and efficient design assembly, thereby optimizing our workflow dramatically.
Results & Impact
Webstandards revolutionized our workflow by ensuring quicker turnaround times, streamlined processes, and improved cross-team communication. Furthermore, the system empowered new team members to rapidly grasp our design approach, while seasoned professionals could harness it for peak performance.
Evolution: Webstandards 2.0
Recognizing the shifting trends towards responsive and mobile designs, we responded with an updated iteration – Webstandards 2.0. This version placed a greater emphasis on mobile-first strategy and touch-friendly interfaces, staying agile with changing user behaviors and technological advancements.
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- Library of Components – building blocks
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- Library of Templates
Continuous Improvement: Monthly Releases
Webstandards, with its diverse set of design components and templates, catered seamlessly to about 80% of our design requirements right out of the box. Its flexible yet comprehensive structure allowed us to swiftly handle the bulk of incoming design requests. However, we recognized the unique needs that emerged 20% of the time, requiring the creation of new components or templates. So, to ensure our design system stayed responsive to all requirements, we instituted regular monthly releases of new templates and components. This ensured that the system remained robust, innovative, and versatile—effectively serving a wide range of design needs while fostering consistent enhancement in design quality and workflow efficiency.
Reflections
The journey of devising, implementing, and refining Webstandards has been filled with learning and growth. It stands as a testament to my versatility as a design leader and showcases the capacity of my team to adapt and innovate. Our success with Webstandards not only improved productivity within Oracle but also set a benchmark for effective design system procedure in the industry.