Design Systems WTF What's with the emotional baggage with design systems?
Jan 6, 2026
Design systems professionals often face emotional baggage and burnout stemming from underappreciation and constant criticism from internal users. The discussion tackles the thankless nature of their work and the pressure to prove its value amidst indirect benefits. They suggest resetting expectations, celebrating small wins, and leveraging community support to foster resilience. Insights on maintaining balance and knowing when to walk away from toxic roles add to the conversation, offering a holistic approach to well-being in a demanding field.
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Value Feels One Step Removed
- Design systems feel one step removed from direct user impact, which makes value harder to see.
- That distance increases pressure for external validation and existential questioning of worth.
Success Attracts More Criticism
- Design system teams get disproportionate negative feedback because their users are internal and vocal.
- Greater adoption often increases critique volume, not praise.
Perpetual Work And Tooling Churn
- Design systems are never truly finished and constantly change with tooling and specs.
- That ongoing rework creates a Sisyphean sense of effort for teams.