Start with decisions, not inventory
Before creating components, identify the choices teams repeat: spacing, hierarchy, states, data density, and responsive behavior. Those decisions are the true system. Components are how they become reusable.
Design for variation
A rigid component is easy to document and hard to use. Strong systems make expected variation explicit through composition, variants, slots, and clear boundaries instead of forcing teams to detach and rebuild.
Measure what happens after launch
Adoption, time to design, implementation consistency, and the number of one-off exceptions are more meaningful than a raw component count. A system stays useful when product teams can evolve it as part of everyday work.