Thirty brand sites on one design system. Yes, thirty.
The design systems playbook builds one component library that every brand site shares. Each brand gets its own theme, every site follows the same rules, and new brand sites are assembled from the system instead of built from scratch, so a portfolio of sites stays consistent and quick to extend.
What you get
- One component library, shared by every brand
- A theme per brand: colors, type and imagery
- Rules for all: what each component is for and how it’s used
- New brand sites made from the system, not from scratch
- A component catalog every brand team can use
How it runs
- Inventory the brandsCypher lists every brand site, its components and where they differ, to find what can be shared.
- The plan, your first gateThe shared library, what each theme controls, and the order brands move across. You approve it once.
- Build the systemShared components first, then the themes, each checked against every brand that will use it.
- Move the brandsBrand sites are rebuilt on the system one at a time, each checked against its original.
- Launch, your second gateYou sign off each brand, or the whole set, with the evidence in front of you.
What it checks
- Every shared component in every theme
- Each brand site against its original, at phone, tablet and desktop widths
- Accessibility in every theme, not just the first
What you decide
About three things: usually where brands may differ and where they must not, which brand moves first, and the launch.
What you own at the end
The library, the themes, the rules and the catalog, in your repository. Your teams make the next brand site from the system.
Questions people ask
Can each brand still look different?
Yes. Each brand has its own theme for colors, type and imagery. What they share is how components work, not how they look.
Do all brands have to move at once?
No. Brands move across one at a time, in the order the plan sets, and each is checked against its original.
Who looks after the system after launch?
Your team. The rules and the catalog are yours, and new components follow the same playbook.