When embarking on a new product development project, one of the initial considerations is choosing a design system. With numerous options available, ranging from free to paid, the decision can be overwhelming.

There is always the option to build your own, but you should consider if it's really worth it compared to just buying one.

This question has no definitive answer, and this article does not aim to provide one. Rather, this article highlights the pros and cons of building a design system from scratch and those associated with purchasing one from a third party. Determining which option is best for your needs is up to you.

When building your own design system…

Here are the pros and cons of building your own design system.

Pros

  • You can have customized components to suit your needs.
  • You can add the precise number of variations and attributes that you require.
  • You have the ability to customize the appearance of the components according to your preferences.
  • You won't pay for components or content you won't use.
  • You can name your components and styles in your own design language.
  • You can create as many components as you need. You would not run out of components for specific UIs that require more than just the regular base components.

Cons

  • It can be time-consuming, especially if you need a large design system & UI kit (with 20 or more components).
  • You need to pay special attention when building your own components to maintain a consistent look & feel. You should expect this out of the box when you buy one.
  • Some components can be difficult to build correctly.
  • When building components from scratch, extra time for bug fixing or fine-tuning may be required, which should not be the case when buying premium pre-built components.

In my experience, I would choose to build my own design system if…

  • I searched the web and Figma community for free or paid design systems, and none fulfilled my expectations or requirements for my next project.
  • I need 5 or more custom components.
  • I plan to utilize this design system for various projects in the future.
  • The time spent customizing a purchased design system outweighs the benefits.
  • The design system that best fits my needs and preferences is either expensive or requires membership or special licenses for multi-project or multi-user use.

When buying a design system…

Here are the pros and cons you have when you buy a design system & UI kit.

Pros

  • You can save time and avoid the responsibility of building components by focusing on building your product or starting your next project.
  • You shouldn't have to test the components for any defects.
  • You can easily compare and select the right design system from hundreds available in the market.
  • In most cases, if the item you purchased doesn't meet your expectations, you can get a refund. You cannot receive a refund for the time spent building your own components if you are dissatisfied with them.

Cons

  • You need to choose carefully so you don't need to spend a lot of time customizing or adapting the components you receive before you consider them ready to be used.
  • There is a possibility that the components you receive may not be as good as they appear or as they are presented.
  • You need to spend money where you could avoid it, especially if it requires to pay a monthly membership.
  • You may not receive updates or new components on demand, and the frequency of updates you do receive may not meet your requirements.

In my experience, I would choose to buy a design system if…

  • I have found the perfect design system with all the necessary components for my upcoming project.
  • I need a design system for a single project and don't anticipate any need for custom components in the future.
  • I found a design system that did not fully meet my needs, but it is still a good starting point, better than creating one from scratch.
  • I was new to UX/UI design and didn't want to risk building my own design system yet.

Conclusion

Have you made a decision yet? The decision to build or buy is not a permanent one as projects may require different solutions.

Another option to minimize risks and avoid wasting too much time is to purchase a design system that you can rely on as a good starting point, even if it doesn't have all the components you need. From there, you can customize it until you make it your own.

Allow me to invite you to check out a design system I built taking all these aspects into consideration. It's called Humix, and its goal is to be the most complete design system out there for an affordable price.

You can find it here.

I hope this article was helpful and provided the answer you were looking for.