Mint Design System
Building a scalable design system for crypto
Overview
Passionate about crypto and design systems, I created Mint—a constantly evolving design system for digital wallets. This project explores finance, AI, and scalable design, integrating design tokens, theming (dark mode), and a 1:1 alignment with code.
Built as a robust, multi-platform library for mobile, desktop, and web, Mint extends beyond crypto. I continue refining its components to enhance adaptability across financial applications.
Responsibilities
UI Design, Design Systems, Figma, Storybook
Role
UI Designer
Date
February 24
Timeline
2 months
Problem Statement
How might we build a design system that is simple, scalable, and understandable by designers and developers?
Discovery
Minting a Design System
Creating a design system from scratch is no small feat. The biggest challenge was ensuring the system remained simple yet flexible, catering to both designers and developers while maintaining visual and functional consistency across different platforms 📱💻. Some key challenges included:
Defining a scalable component architecture that remains adaptable.
Designing for multiple screen sizes and interaction patterns.
Establishing design tokens for scalability and theming.
research
Learning from the best, adapting for crypto
To build Mint's Design System, I explored leading frameworks like Shopify Polaris, Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines, and Google’s Material Design. While robust, they required tailoring for crypto and fintech needs. 🔐
Beyond UI consistency, I defined design tokens and variables early on, iterating alongside screens and flows. This back-and-forth process laid the foundation for a scalable, cohesive design library.
DEFINE
How can I make this helpful for designers and devs?
A successful design system must serve both designers and developers, acting as a single source of truth. To achieve this, Mint will incorporate:
Design tokens 🎨 for colors, typography, and spacing to ensure consistency. These tokens were set up as Figma variables 🧩 that allow for quick color palette adjustments and ensure uniformity in spacing and typography across the system.
Component libraries with reusable UI elements for buttons, cards, and forms.
Code-ready documentation with tokens, CSS classes, and snippets.
IDEATION
Keeping it simple yet scalable
To future-proof Mint, I ensured it followed key design principles 📐. Using Atomic Design, components remain flexible and reusable, while nested structures enhance modularity and reduce inconsistencies. Defining variables early on also enabled seamless support for dark mode, multiple languages, and potential brand variations, making the system both adaptable and scalable.
Testing
But did it work?
Through continuous iteration and research, I found that minimizing component detachments is crucial for a design system’s success. Mint solves this with a slot component approach, allowing local element replacements while preserving the core system. This encourages extending rather than modifying base components, ensuring long-term maintainability across platforms.
documentation
Making it easy for designers and developers to collaborate
To enhance adoption, Mint integrates with Storybook 📚✨, ensuring live component previews with real-time updates, allowing teams to visualize changes instantly. Interactive documentation supports both design and development teams, making collaboration smoother and more efficient.
It also supports frameworks like Tailwind CSS, aligning with modern frontend standards for flexibility and scalability 📈. By focusing on clear, accessible documentation, Mint aims to bridge the gap between designers and developers, ensuring a seamless workflow.
NEXT STEPS
Looking ahead
As Mint evolves, I plan to integrate an AI copilot that provides contextual, non-intrusive nudges, ensuring real value for users. To achieve this, I'll incorporate AI patterns that enhance guidance without disrupting the experience.
Other key next steps include:
Gathering feedback from designers and developers to refine usability.
Ensuring compatibility with React, Vue, and Web Components.
Conducting usability tests to measure its impact on workflow efficiency.
Ultimately, Mint aims to be a scalable, AI-powered design system that enhances UI consistency while empowering users with intelligent financial tools. 🚀📊
