One design system to rule them all. At Aller Media, we manage a portfolio of prominent online magazines, including Elle, Femina, Hänt, and Svensk Dam. Maintaining and developing new functionalities for these sites is a significant undertaking that requires substantial effort. Historically, similar functionalities have been developed for all brands, but in multiple versions, leading to challenges in maintenance and time-consuming updates.

To address this issue, it is crucial to strive for greater coherence and consistency across the sites, while still preserving each brand's unique design and brand identity. To achieve this, I led the creation of a design system in Figma that includes components to improve the coherency of functions and code, while also allowing for customization to align with each magazine's distinct design.

The design system not only streamlines maintenance efforts but also empowers each magazine brand to maintain its individuality while adhering to a unified design language. It strikes a balance between consistency and flexibility, enhancing the overall user experience and reinforcing the brand identities of each magazine website. All components can easily be styled according to a specific brand by switching components in the brand styleguide files.

As part of the project, I developed a white label brand that served as a reference point for all the sites and brands involved. This white label brand was named Lynx, and it provided a standardized framework that could be applied across various sites and brands. In the process we also improved and merged functions from different sites.