Wise Design System
As part of an intensive Design System Bootcamp, I’ve been working on developing a scalable and consistent design system using Wise’s company website as the core case study. The project focuses on analyzing and improving how Wise structures its visual language, components, and design tokens across its digital ecosystem.
The Challenge
The key challenge has been learning how to build a design system from the ground up—applying theory to practice in a real-world context. Using Wise’s website as a case study, I’ve been navigating how to translate an existing brand into a modular, scalable system. This involves understanding how to structure components, define design tokens, and ensure consistency across different breakpoints and themes.
The Solution
To address the challenge, I began by breaking down Wise’s website into foundational elements—identifying recurring patterns, UI components, and key brand attributes. From there, I started building a design system structure in Figma, focusing on consistency, scalability, and modularity.
Outcome
Through this 8-week Design System Bootcamp, I was able to deepen and expand my existing knowledge of working with design systems gained from my professional experience. Using Wise’s website as a case study, I explored how to translate brand identity into reusable components and design tokens while ensuring consistency, scalability, and flexibility within a structured framework.
The showcased button component serves as just one example of the broader system I developed during the program. Throughout the process, I strengthened my ability to build and document components in Figma, apply design tokens effectively, and maintain accessibility across themes and devices. This intensive project has further enhanced my systematic approach to complex design challenges and my confidence in design system thinking.
Project challenges
Finding the right structure
One of the biggest challenges has been finding the right semantic aliasing and token structure. Striking a balance between flexibility, clarity, and scalability takes time and thoughtful iteration. Defining tokens that are both meaningful for designers and usable for developers proved more complex than expected, requiring a deep understanding of hierarchy, naming conventions, and system logic.
What I gained
Becoming a design system specialist
Deepening my knowledge of design systems has been a personal goal, and this bootcamp has been a valuable step toward that. It has allowed me to build on my existing experience by exploring system thinking in greater depth—particularly around structure, scalability, and cross-functional alignment. Applying these principles in a real-world context has strengthened both my technical skills and strategic design mindset.
