Enhancing IBM Design System with AI-Driven
UX Improvements
IBM sought to innovate their design system, aiming to leverage AI to automate repetitive tasks, assist with accessibility, and personalize user experiences. The goal was to streamline workflows, overcome system limitations, and align with strategic goals.
My Role:
UX Researcher
Completed a competitive audit on IBM’s Carbon Design System to ensure it aligns with current user needs.
Sr. UX Designer (Design System Specialist)
Offered reusable solutions that can be easily adopted across IBM's products like integrating industry trends like modularity and theming.
UX Accessibility Specialist
Provided suggestions for the design system updates to comply with accessibility standards and promote inclusive design.
Challenges & Opportunities
Audit of Current Design Systems and Processes
The project’s primary aim was to understand the current state of IBM’s design system and workflows through stakeholder interviews and comprehensive audits. The focus was on uncovering limitations, identifying opportunities for AI integration, and aligning improvements with IBM’s strategic roadmap.
Discussion Guides and Interview Planning
Created tailored questions covering topics such as components, tagging, metadata, content fragments, design processes, accessibility, and analytics.
Interview Scheduling and Management
Planned the coordination of interviews across a 4-week timeline, ensuring comprehensive feedback
Stakeholder Interviews & Initial Analysis
Created 12 stakeholder interviews to provide a deep understanding of IBM’s current system, uncovering system limitations and exploring future-state planning.
Current State Audit
Performed an in-depth audit of IBM’s design system, focusing on how to improve searchability and content organization.
Competitive Analysis
Benchmarking Against Industry Leaders
The analysis of Spotify and Uber, focuses on four key areas: scalability (how well the system grows with product demands), flexibility (adaptability across different use cases and regions), usability (ease of access and implementation for designers and developers), and accessibility (adherence to standards like WCAG and support for inclusive design).
Foundation in
UX Design
Collaborative Solutions for Long-Term Success
The stakeholder interviews and competitive analysis fed into a broader planning that focused on defining clear requirements for a future-proof design system.
Designed to foster a deeper
sense of collaboration
Development Team
Interview Questions
Product Owners
Interview Questions
Executive Stakeholders
Interview Questions
UX | UI Designers
Interview Questions
In-depth interviews with stakeholders can reveal key insights that are crucial to understanding both the current system and strategic goals for any future updates.
Stakeholder Design Think Tank
Driving Innovation through
Detailed Research and Strategic Insights
Though the final pitch was not selected, the project provided IBM with detailed insights into their current design system and clear, actionable recommendations for future improvements.
