The brief
As the project lead, I identified the need for a strong, consistent connection between the brand and the end user. Recognising that effective design hinges on consistency and functionality, I led the creation of a long-term, evolving Design System. This system empowered the Commercial Design team at News Corp Australia to focus on solving design challenges, streamlining processes, reducing redundancy, and eliminating the need to repeatedly recreate components or handle minor repetitive tasks.

The why

• To create consistency and alignment

• For clarity and to create the notion of a single source of the truth 

• For quality throughout the process, doing more with less

• For scalability 

• To create a shared language through documentation

The what

• A comprehensive Sketch/Figma Design System file that the design team can continuously build on and expand, with strong design governance

• Clear documentation guidelines defining the principles and visual direction, ensuring effective communication among designers, developers, and stakeholders

Results
Under my guidance, the Design System was successfully introduced and integrated into the team’s workflow. Through comprehensive education and documentation, the system became the go-to reference for the Commercial Design team, providing a unified language and vision that strengthened collaboration. The system not only ensured consistency, accessibility, and usability but also fostered trust in the product. This led to improved user experiences, deeper customer engagement, and increased loyalty. In turn, the system reduced resource allocation time by 25%, including a reduction in export times shifting from Zeplin to Dev Mode.

The Design System continues to evolve, supporting ongoing optimisation and growth, which remains integral to its sustained success.