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Jeremy Xie. Selected work
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Sophocles · standing portraitSMK · adapted scan

04 / Design Systems & Collaboration

Turning design knowledge into shared team assets.

Supporting multiple product lines calls for standards that accommodate both shared patterns and distinct needs. I organized design assets through layered component libraries, documentation, and review practices so they could be found, maintained, and reused.

Explore the system
ROLEUX design & design collaboration
SCOPEComponent structures, documentation, reviews & asset management
KNOWLEDGE / STRUCTURE / COLLABORATIONSystem building & design delivery
ONE SYSTEM, THREE CONNECTED PRACTICESFIG. 01
01

Find

Design indexes & documentation

02

Reuse

Shared foundations & product libraries

03

Continue

Review decisions & delivery standards

Case synthesis based on the original work breakdown.

01 — Knowledge & retrieval

Make design knowledge retrievable.

Teams need access to research, proposals, and review decisions as well as final screens. I organized these materials through design indexes and document categories, creating a retrievable record of the work.

A PATH BACK TO THE REASONINGFIG. 02
I

Business / need

Start with the question.

II

Design index

Locate the relevant proposal.

III

Proposal & record

Read the decisions behind the screen.

DESIGN RECORDS / Project A

  • Research

    Questions & observations

  • Proposals

    Explorations & rationale

  • Reviews

    Trade-offs & next steps

  • Delivery

    Scope & usage notes

Find the screen and the reasoning behind it. The directory is an anonymized structural illustration, not a live internal folder.

02 — Shared rules, distinct needs

Separate the foundations from the variations.

I separated shared foundations from product-specific libraries. The shared library maintains basic and cross-product patterns; product libraries hold specialized controls, panels, and compositions. Components with broader reuse potential can be reviewed for inclusion in the shared library.

CLEAR OWNERSHIP, CONNECTED LIBRARIESFIG. 03
01

Shared library

Basic components & cross-product patterns

Shared foundations

Document library

Specialized controls, panels & compositions

Sheet library

Specialized controls, panels & compositions

Other product libraries

Specialized controls, panels & compositions

Product compositions

Use shared rules, retain the context of each product.

Reusable product componentPending reviewGroup discussionShared library
Library hierarchy and contribution flow, reorganized from the original design.

Keep the common rules stable.

Maintain basic and cross-product patterns. A component enters the shared library after its broader value has been discussed, not simply because one product needs it.

The original library structure

Shared and product libraries, linked through review.

Shared library
Sheet library
Document library
Contribution review
Form text input · product control
Form options panel · product composition

Product examples from the original form design; shown to illustrate controls and compositions.

Consistency depends on clear ownership boundaries.

Placing every variation in the shared library weakens its stability, while isolated copies make knowledge harder to share.

03 — A review that moves work forward

Make reviews about explicit trade-offs.

Reviews begin with the problem, scope, and acceptable cost, then examine the rationale and compare trade-offs. Communication guidelines emphasize concrete observations, a clear scope, and precise language, helping discussion lead to action.

FROM THE PROBLEM TO THE NEXT STEPFIG. 04
  1. I

    Set the frame

    What are we solving?

    • Clarify the problem and scope.
    • Establish acceptable cost.
    • Identify the main needs and concerns.
  2. II

    Explain the rationale

    Why this direction?

    • Explain the existing proposal.
    • Explore possibilities, then form proposals.
    • Record the trade-offs.
  3. III

    Converge on a proposal

    What do we do next?

    • Remove options outside the frame.
    • Compare resources and impact.
    • Choose primary and secondary options.

Reorganized from Frame 28. Shift the discussion toward the problem a proposal solves and the cost it carries.

04 — A record others can continue

Preserve context in the handoff.

Asset organization, documentation standards, and review practices work together. They help people retrieve earlier decisions, understand component boundaries, and use that knowledge in new work.

CONTEXT THROUGHOUT THE WORKFIG. 05
  1. 01

    Problem record

    What needs to change

  2. 02

    Design proposal

    The direction and its rationale

  3. 03

    Review record

    The decisions and trade-offs

  4. 04

    Component / delivery

    The scope and usage context

A synthesis of the case content, not a record of a particular approval or conversation.

The file should explain the work.

Documentation and a clear organization help the next reader understand where a proposal belongs and how it relates to the rest of the product.

Design layout standard · original document cover

05 — Deliverables & reflection

Build something the team can carry forward.

The work established an asset organization structure, layered libraries and a contribution review process, with shared delivery and review standards. My focus extended beyond individual components to whether the team could understand, maintain, and continue using them.

DESIGN DELIVERABLES

  • Asset indexes & document organization
  • Layered libraries & contribution review
  • Review & delivery standards

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AI design thinking

From shared design knowledge to working with AI.

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Original design detail