<h2>Overview</h2>
<p>DDS v3 introduces changes that improve consistency, parity, and collaboration between design and engineering. This guide outlines what’s changed and how designers and engineers can prepare for migration.</p>
<p>This guide is for designers and engineers responsible for migrating existing products to DDS v3.</p>
<h2>Why migrate to DDS v3?</h2>
<p><strong>DDS v3 is not a visual refresh—it’s a system upgrade.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Key improvements include:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Token-first, atomic foundations</li>
<li>Clearer structure across tokens, components, and patterns</li>
<li>Stronger design–code parity and cleaner implementations</li>
<li>Lower friction for evolving and contributing to the system</li>
</ul>
<p>These updates help teams scale with confidence while reducing rework.</p>
<h2>What has changed in v3</h2>
<h3>Foundations</h3>
<ul>
<li>Visual decisions are now centralized as atomic tokens  </li>
<li>Theming and brand extensions are handled through tokens, not overrides</li>
</ul>
<p>→ <em>Learn more: <a href="/getting-started/tokens">Token-first logic</a></em></p>
<h3>System structure</h3>
<ul>
<li>Clear relationships between foundations, components, and patterns  </li>
<li>Defined extension points enable safe customization  </li>
<li>More predictable inputs for AI-assisted design workflows</li>
</ul>
<p><em>→ Learn more: <a href="/getting-started/structured-foundations">Structured foundations for humans and AI</a></em></p>
<h3>Components and code</h3>
<ul>
<li>Components have clearer responsibilities and APIs  </li>
<li>Design intent maps more directly to production code  </li>
<li>Reduced handoff friction between design and engineering</li>
</ul>
<p><em>→ Learn more: <a href="/getting-started/cleaner-code">Cleaner code, better parity</a></em></p>
<h2>What won’t change from v2 to v3</h2>
<p>To support safe adoption, several core aspects remain the same:</p>
<ul>
<li>Core design principles and product standards</li>
<li>Component intent and usage patterns (largely unchanged)</li>
<li>Contribution and governance model</li>
</ul>
<p>DDS v3 builds on what works today while strengthening the foundation.</p>


DDS v3 introduces updated behaviors, structure, and components. **Do not mix v2 and v3 components in the same experience. Migrate as a complete system update.** Since parity with v2 is still evolving, plan migration when most required components are available in v3. 

For support, contact the Dell Design System team via the [Contact form](https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdell.service-now.com%2Fesc%3Fid%3Dsc_cat_item%26sys_id%3Dbdcedc1f4709f6d0e9bcb5ea216d439b&data=05%7C02%7CBruna.Mombach%40Dell.com%7C68a3e87dde4d42bd352f08de9c8d0211%7C945c199a83a24e809f8c5a91be5752dd%7C0%7C0%7C639120326635798392%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=OuGqvuHUHcnu%2BFlLXecbMRximDcxO55BzzW7mBO732E%3D&reserved=0) in the Team Member Center on ServiceNow. We can help assess requirements, timelines, and migration feasibility for DDS v3.

## Migration approach

Plan migration to DDS v3 as a one-time, coordinated effort. Complete updates as a single release to ensure consistency and reduce long-term maintenance.

* Review v3 foundations, tokens, and components before starting
* Use v3 tokens and foundations as the baseline for the experience
* Update components in the same release, prioritizing those with clear improvements
* Remove legacy overrides and custom patterns instead of carrying them forward

### Design guidance

* Use the [DDS v3 UI Kit](https://www.figma.com/design/9R6misT0WAdjAGkdF0XoK3/Dell-Design-System-v3?m=auto&node-id=88-3934&t=78qWSIOKDzFbfzlq-1) and enable the latest Figma libraries
* Replace v2 components with v3 equivalents using library swaps where possibleApply tokens for color, typography, and spacing instead of manual overrides
* Update component variants and properties to match v3 structure
* Remove local styles, detached components, and legacy overrides
* Align layouts and spacing with v3 foundations and grid system
* Use slots to customize components without detaching

## Migration checklist

Before migrating, ensure you can:

* Design using tokens instead of manual visual overrides
* Rely on system defaults for accessibility and consistency
* Work within defined component and pattern boundaries
* Update existing designs to use v3 libraries

**Use this page for high-level guidance. For detailed, component-level migration instructions, refer to Storybook (available soon).**

DDS v3 introduces updated behaviors, structure, and components. **Do not mix v2 and v3 components in the same experience. Migrate as a complete system update.** Since parity with v2 is still evolving, plan migration when most required components are available in v3. 

For support, contact the Dell Design System team via the [Contact Form](https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdell.service-now.com%2Fesc%3Fid%3Dsc_cat_item%26sys_id%3Dbdcedc1f4709f6d0e9bcb5ea216d439b&data=05%7C02%7CBruna.Mombach%40Dell.com%7C68a3e87dde4d42bd352f08de9c8d0211%7C945c199a83a24e809f8c5a91be5752dd%7C0%7C0%7C639120326635798392%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=OuGqvuHUHcnu%2BFlLXecbMRximDcxO55BzzW7mBO732E%3D&reserved=0) in the Team Member Center on ServiceNow. We can help assess requirements, timelines, and migration feasibility for DDS v3.

## Migration approach

Plan migration to DDS v3 as a one-time, coordinated effort. Complete updates as a single release to ensure consistency and reduce long-term maintenance.

* Review v3 foundations, tokens, and components before starting
* Use token-based foundations as the baseline
* Migrate components in the same release
* Remove legacy overrides and custom logic instead of carrying them forward

### Engineering guidance

* Detailed migration guidance is available per component in [Storybooks](/getting-started/storybooks)
* Install or update DDS v3 libraries for your framework (Vanilla, React, or Angular)
* Replace v2 components with v3 equivalents and update imports
* Adopt token-based foundations (CSS variables/design tokens) instead of hardcoded values
* Update component APIs, props, and markup to match v3 specifications
* Remove custom styles and logic that override system behavior
* Validate layouts, spacing, and responsiveness against v3 foundations

## Migration checklist

Before migrating, ensure you can:

* Implement token-based foundations
* Adopt updated component APIs and contracts
* Remove custom logic that duplicates system behavior
* Align implementations with v3 structure

This page provides guidance for teams migrating from DDS v2 to DDS v3. Migration is a one-time effort that requires coordinated updates across design and engineering.

Migration guide