Design system stakeholder definitions
Defining the "who" of your design system
The true foundation of your design system is the people who will be creating and using it. Before we go any further with planning the "what", let's make sure we're aligned on your system's stakeholders and their roles within the system.
CRUD (one of our favorite acronyms) = Create, Read, Update, Delete
| Stakeholder | Definition | Also Known As |
|---|---|---|
| System Admin | The operational admin for your design system (could be a lead designer, project manager, IT stakeholder, or otherwise) | Facilitator, Project Manager |
| Maker | Designers who will be directly responsible for CRUD design activities in your system | Core Designer, Editor, Contributor |
| Coder | Developers who will be directly responsible for CRUD activities with coded components & tokens | Core Front-End Stakeholder, Code Library Manager |
| User | Designers who will be consuming styles and assets from the system, but not directly contributing/editing | Consumer |
| Satellite Stakeholders | Non-design stakeholders who will primarily be interacting with the system through the DSM web monument | Any "other" stakeholder (e.g. executive sponsor, brand manager, enablement stakeholder, etc) |
Spend time thinking about stakeholders who will build, test, sponsor, or use your design system. If you’re not sure who/where to start, your sponsor is often a good start. If you don’t yet have a sponsor and you’re building this as a side project to gain buy-in, Project Leads are often a good starting point. They should have a good pulse on who the main development leads and other stakeholders in the projects are.
