About the Dell Design System

A unified design language to support Dell’s digital universe⁠—ensuring design is accessible, inclusive, and useful.

What is a design system

A design system is a library of reusable components governed by a set a foundational standards, such as color, typography, and grid. Additionally, guidelines and documentation accompany all components along with guiding patterns and best practices. Teams are encouraged to leverage the system and its documentation to build repeatable designs within applications or interfaces.

Approach

We’ve rebuilt our components in the Dell Design System (DDS) v2 from the ground up, creating a system that is accessible, scalable, and flexible. Our engineering team has provided reusable front-end code in addition to design guidance and code implementation documentation to help teams create consistent experiences within Dell’s digital universe.

Advantages

  1. The DDS is informed by Dell Brand, and supports a company-wide initiative to create optimal business outcomes in digital experiences that are modern, measurable, and unified.
  2. Accessibility is a priority for every team within Dell. DDS team members frequently consult with Dell’s Accessibility Center of Excellence to ensure all system components meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standards. While the components themselves meet accessibility requirements, please note that the implementation does not assure an accessible experience.
  3. The DDS library is built in-house, with no third-party dependencies or security risks. By creating our own design library, we know what’s in it.
  4. There is a community built around the DDS library. Support and contributions come from other Dell designers and engineers, not just our team. Make sure to register your application to be part of the community we interview and influence product decisions.
  5. DDS provides a community forum where users can post their questions and receive answers from other members. Join our forum to find solutions for design, UX engineering, or general questions about Dell Design System.

Principles

Flexibility

Adaptable and consistent experiences across devices and platforms.

Collaboration

A scalable system that allows teams to contribute their designs and to explore others' contributions.

Reusable Code

Framework-free DDS components and web components, with Angular and React on our roadmap.

Accessibility

Each element reviewed by Dell’s Accessibility team in pursuit of design that works for everyone.

Branding

Design guidance that speaks Dell’s language.

Support

Maintenance by a team of designers, developers, writers, and product managers.