Tip #19

Design Systems are not neutral

Takeaways

  • They encode priorities, power structures, exclusions.
  • What you don’t design says as much as what you do
  • Tokens reflect your defaults and your bias
  • Accessibility, inclusivity, ecology — build them in, not bolt them on

🧠 Every system has politics. Better name them.

Quick action:

Pick one design token category (e.g. color, motion) and audit it for bias or exclusion.