Designsystemet in Avinor's solutions
Avinor builds both internal and external solutions on Designsystemet and experiences smoother collaboration between design and development.
Avinor has adopted Designsystemet in several of its solutions, both internal and external. They use the system directly in their solutions, without building their own design system on top. Solutions built on React use Designsystemet straight out of the box, with custom icons and components added where needed.
Their experience so far shows that the process between design and development has become much more efficient, and collaboration between the two flows more smoothly. It is faster to create designs, the handover to development is simpler, and variables and tokens provide a shared language.
To learn more about Avinor’s experiences with Designsystemet, we asked them a few questions.
What made you decide to adopt Designsystemet?
– We previously had our own design system for internal solutions, but wanted to test Designsystemet to achieve a more holistic and consistent experience. It provides an expression and semantics that fit a public organization, while also being more resource-efficient than developing everything ourselves. This frees up capacity to focus on the users, says Sverre Øberg, UX Designer at Avinor.
– A big advantage is that teams without dedicated designers can also use it, and that they get ready-made code and simpler maintenance. It also makes it easier to showcase solutions, both internally and externally.
Which solutions are you using Designsystemet in?
– Our newly launched homepage avinor.no has just adopted it, as well as an airport assistant we are working on. For us, digital surfaces at airports are an important part of the whole, and Designsystemet helps make the experience more seamless and recognizable for both employees and travelers, says Sverre.
Internal solutions
– Internally we use it in a number of solutions. Among other things, we have a system that provides an overview of baggage at the airports and a weather solution for snow removal crews. We also have a solution that shows the current situation for those working operationally at all major airports.
– Over time, we will also introduce it in both our passenger app and an internal app for all employees working at airports in Norway. The standard now is that if new solutions are created, they should use Designsystemet, says Sverre.
Experiences
Avinor was among the early testers of Designsystemet. They explain that it took some time to get familiar with both the opportunities and limitations, but that the documentation has been useful in the process.
On the development side, they highlight several benefits. Designsystemet makes the work more resource-efficient, ensures universal design, and provides access to features such as dark mode and the theme builder. Ready-to-use, well-thought-out components allow teams to work faster, while knowledge sharing through the Slack channel has been valuable.
They also find that Avinor’s visual profile and identity are clearly reflected in the solutions. The Theme builder is highlighted as a key tool for ensuring that the design expression aligns with the company’s identity.
At the same time, they have faced some challenges. Version updates have at times been demanding to follow up on, and differences between code and Figma have required extra work. They also point to breaking changes when names have been changed, something they especially experienced during the beta period before a stable version was released. In addition, some components they need are still not covered by the system, and these they have to build themselves.
Has using Designsystemet changed how you work between design and development?
– Yes, the process has become much more efficient. It takes far less time to create designs, and the handover to development is simplified. Standardization through variables and tokens provides a shared vocabulary, clear guidelines, and consistent colors. Collaboration flows more smoothly, says Sverre.
What kind of further development do you wish for in Designsystemet?
Avinor would like more patterns and components adapted for mobile surfaces, more solutions for large screens, as well as support for more technologies.
