Design System Migration: A Campaign, Not a Mandate
Migrating to a new design system is a campaign to win over teams, not just a technical refactor. Use strategies like piggybacking on features (Trojan Horse) or starting with willing teams to build momentum and avoid getting stalled by resistance.
Migrating to a new design system is a people problem, not just a technical one. Instead of a big-bang rewrite, treat it as a campaign to win over busy teams. Strategies include the 'Trojan Horse' (piggybacking on feature work), 'Strategic Selection' (starting with willing teams to build case studies), or 'Micro-Adoption' (adopting tokens first, then components). The biggest footgun is enforcing a top-down mandate without proving value, which creates resistance that stalls the entire effort. Lead with benefits, not compliance.
Read the original → hdennison.com
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