// context_&_my_role
| company | Chainlink Labs — the leading decentralized oracle network, providing data infrastructure for smart contracts across blockchains |
| team size | Design team of 4 |
| my title | Lead Product Designer, Design Systems |
| tenure | Feb 2022 – Sep 2023 |
| contribution scope | Owned the design system and design ops framework: Figma architecture, ownership model, library strategy, and developer handoff |
| link | view on npm → |
// the_problem
Chainlink had a growing suite of products, including API documentation, developer tooling, and consumer-facing Staking interface, with no unified design system governing them. Component libraries existed but lacked a coherent architecture, ownership model, or branching strategy. The result was redundant components across teams, inconsistent UI patterns, and slow developer handoff.
The goal was to architect a system that could serve diverse product surfaces while giving teams clear ownership boundaries and a reliable source of truth.
// system_architecture
Component Taxonomy
The system was structured across three library types: component libraries for UI primitives and composites, global pattern libraries for cross-product layouts and templates, and helper libraries for shared utilities like icon sets and motion specs. Each library had a defined ownership model and contribution path.
Tooling & Workflow
Figma was the source of truth. I designed and implemented a branching and ownership model that allowed product teams to work in parallel without corrupting shared libraries. Source files were structured to mirror the component hierarchy, with a clear separation between the system layer and the product layer.
Governance Model
Defined contribution guidelines, a branching strategy, and a review process for system-level changes. Teams could propose additions through a structured intake; breaking changes required review before merging to the main library.
// contributions
- Architected the foundational Chainlink Design System — designed the component library, global patterns, and helper library structure from the ground up
- Designed the Figma source-of-truth model — implemented the branching and ownership system used within the product design team, reducing redundant components and improving discoverability
- Standardized developer handoff — established handoff practices that significantly accelerated the design-to-engineering pipeline across seven products
// reflection
What worked: The branching and ownership model. Giving designers clear lanes, rather than a free-for-all shared library, was the single biggest unlock for efficiency and consistency.
What I'd do differently: Earlier alignment with engineering on token implementation. The design token structure evolved organically and required a migration pass to align with the front-end implementation.