Design Systems for scaling companies
Design systems that connect your brand to code
We build design systems that connect brand design to web implementation — the components, patterns, and documentation that let your team produce new pages without starting from scratch every time.
What a design system actually is
A design system isn’t a Figma file full of components. It’s not a style guide PDF. It’s the bridge between how your brand looks in a designer’s head and how it works on the web.
A useful design system includes coded components that your site actually uses, documentation that explains when and how to use each one, and enough flexibility to handle new content without requiring a designer or developer for every page. It’s infrastructure for content production.
What we build
A complete system for producing web pages consistently.
Reusable, coded UI components — headers, cards, CTAs, feature blocks, testimonial layouts, navigation patterns — built in your front-end framework (Astro, Next.js, or React) and connected to your CMS. Each component has defined content fields, responsive behavior, and accessibility built in.
Not every page needs to be designed from scratch. We define page-level patterns — how a product page is structured, what a resource hub looks like, how blog posts are laid out — so your team can produce new pages by assembling existing components in documented ways.
Consistent type scales, spacing units, and layout grids that work across screen sizes. These aren’t arbitrary — they’re derived from your brand guidelines and calibrated for web readability and responsive behavior.
Components are wired to your content management system so editors can build pages by selecting from the component library. Each component has its own content fields, validation, and live preview. The design system and CMS work as one system.
Every component, pattern, and design token is documented with usage guidelines, content requirements, and implementation notes. The goal is that someone who wasn’t part of the original build can use the system confidently.
How this is different from what a design agency delivers
Most design agencies produce brand guidelines and Figma files. Those artifacts look great, but they leave a gap between the design and the working website. Someone still has to interpret the Figma components as responsive web code, decide how they connect to a CMS, figure out how they behave at different screen sizes, and document the rules for future use.
That translation work is where design systems break down. The Figma component and the coded component drift apart. New pages get built with slight variations. The site gradually loses coherence.
We close that gap by building the design system as code from the start. The components your designers see in Figma are the same components your editors use in the CMS and your developers use in the codebase. One source of truth.
Why you should work with Bits&Letters
Principal-level expertise on every project
The person scoping your project is the person building it. Founded by David Demaree, with 25+ years including principal-level roles at Adobe (Typekit), Google (Material Design), Stripe, and Webflow.
Full stack, single partner
Front-end, CMS, hosting, design systems, API integrations. One team, one relationship, one Slack channel.
Built to last after launch
Most web projects fail after launch, not at launch. We design every project so your team can maintain and evolve the site once it's live. Clean architecture, thorough documentation, portable code. You're never locked in to us.
Design-savvy engineering
Everyone on our team has design sensibility. We don't just implement specs — we flag when components won't scale well, suggest responsive adaptations, and make informed decisions about typography and spacing. Less friction between design intent and web reality.
FAQs
Do I need a design system?
If your site has more than a handful of page types and your team regularly produces new pages or content, yes. A design system pays for itself in reduced production time and increased consistency.
Can you build a design system for an existing site?
Yes. We can audit your current site, identify recurring patterns, and formalize them into a documented component library. This is often paired with a site rebuild, but it can also be done as a standalone project that improves how your team works with the existing site.
Do you work in Figma?
Yes. We use Figma for early alignment on design direction and component definition. But we spend less time there than a typical design agency because we prioritize getting into code where components can be tested responsively and connected to real content. For teams that want both, we can deliver a Figma component library paired with coded components via Code Connect, so designers and developers are working from the same source.
How does a design system connect to the CMS?
Each component in the design system maps to a content block in your CMS. Editors build pages by selecting and arranging components, each with its own content fields and live preview. The design system defines what's possible; the CMS makes it accessible to non-technical users.
How long does it take to build a design system?
It depends on scope. A design system built as part of a site project is integrated into the 12–24 week timeline. A standalone design system project for an existing site might be 6–12 weeks depending on the number of components and patterns.
What if we already have brand guidelines?
Great — we'll use them as the foundation. We translate brand guidelines into web-specific decisions: type scales, spacing systems, color tokens, responsive behavior. If the guidelines have gaps (most do when it comes to web), we fill them.
Let's talk about your project
If your team is spending too much time producing new pages or your site has lost visual coherence, a design system can fix that. The first step is a conversation about your brand, your content, and how your team works.