Start With Tokens
Before a single component, define your design tokens: color, spacing, typography, radius, shadow. Tokens are the atomic units that keep everything consistent. If two designers use slightly different blues, your system has already failed.
Components Are the Vocabulary
Build components in order of complexity: primitives (buttons, inputs), patterns (forms, cards), and templates (page layouts). Each component should have clear props, states, and accessibility built in. If a component needs a one-off variant, your API is wrong.
Documentation Is the Product
A component library without documentation is a junk drawer. Document usage, do/don't examples, accessibility notes, and code snippets. The goal is for a new designer or developer to use the system without asking anyone a question.
Sam Rivera
Head of Design at ANERA Technologies