Design systems aren’t just style guides or component libraries. They are living products and an ongoing practice of decision-making at scale.

In this course, you’ll learn how to run design systems work as a strategy and a practice: how to identify the right problems to solve, align stakeholders around shared goals, and make strategic tradeoffs as systems grow, change, and age. 

We’ll focus on the decisions behind the system, not specific tools, files, or code. You’ll develop frameworks for prioritization, governance, contribution, and adoption, and learn to connect decisions across teams, products, and timelines.

You’ll leave with practical strategies and decision-making tools to confidently lead or contribute to design systems work — even in messy, constrained organizational contexts.

Who Should Attend

  • Designers with exposure to design systems who want to improve day-to-day workflows and strengthen strategic decision-making
  • Design managers and DesignOps practitioners looking to scale design influence across teams, products, and timelines
  • Design-system owners and operators responsible for aligning people, priorities, and investment around system work
  • Cross-functional partners supporting system work across teams and products

What You’ll Learn

Align design systems with business and product strategy

  • Define the scope, team structure, and cross-functional partnerships needed to operate a design system
  • Build business cases that communicate scope, process, and benefits to secure sustained investment
  • Audit existing design assets to surface consolidation opportunities, gaps, and strategic priorities
  • Strategically select and scope pilot projects for design systems to build credibility and momentum

Establish sustainable governance and contribution models

  • Design governance structures that enable adoption without rigid policing
  • Create contribution workflows that prevent bottlenecks while maintaining quality control
  • Apply decision frameworks for handling edge cases and competing needs
  • Build feedback loops that capture practitioner needs and drive system evolution

Lead design systems work in complex contexts

  • Make strategic tradeoffs when underfunded, understaffed, or operating as a team of one
  • Navigate competing priorities, conflicting stakeholder needs, and resource constraints
  • Architect multi-brand or multi-product systems through layered library architectures
  • Adapt design systems to organizational change, mergers, rebrands, and platform shifts

Evolve, scale, and future-proof your system practice

  • Track system health through both qualitative and quantitative measures that demonstrate product impact
  • Manage versioning, deprecation, and technical debt as systems age 
  • Identify practical applications of AI in design system work
  • Develop political acumen and organizational influence skills essential for design systems leadership

Taught by an Industry Expert

Earn UX Certification

Take 5 live courses, pass 5 online exams

UX Certification is an exam-based credential that reinforces learning and boosts credibility.

UX Certification Benefits

Why Live Online Courses

Frequently Asked Questions

How will I get the link to the Zoom meeting for the course?

60 minutes before your course begins, your link will be available when you log into your NN/G profile.

Can I watch a recording of the course?

Live Online courses are live events hosted on Zoom that extend throughout the day and include many periods of interactive exercises. The learning experience cannot be replicated by simply watching recordings after the event. We will not be making course recordings, and making your own recordings is not permitted.

Will I be able to network and get to know other participants?

You'll join a Slack community for both course-related discussion and networking with fellow participants. You'll also be able to use the Slack workspace before, during, and after the event to maintain your connections. You'll be invited to join the Slack community the week before the event starts.

What equipment will I need to participate in NN/G Live Online courses?

You'll be streaming video and audio to your computer, and also speaking with other participants. Make sure you have:

  • A laptop or desktop (using a tablet is not recommended)
  • A stable high-speed internet connection
  • Speakers or headphones
  • A microphone
  • A webcam
Do I really need a microphone and webcam?

While it's possible to attend our Live Online courses without your own webcam or microphone, you will not be able to fully participate in learning activities. Many of our courses use hands-on practice as the primary way of learning design and research techniques. You'll learn more during these activities if you can fully participate, and your collaboration partners can see and hear you. We also recommend using headphones.

Do I have to download any software?

All courses use Zoom and Hightail, a file-sharing service. Some courses require the use of Google Drive apps or Miro. All tools are free to use and do not require you to create an account, but you should ensure your device permissions allow you to access these tools.

  • Zoom is a video conferencing service. Our meetings follow security best practices, including passwords and waiting rooms. We recommend installing the Zoom app, which is free. If you are not able to install the Zoom software, you can also join through Chrome web browser. Test your access to Zoom.
  • Hightail will be used to share downloadable course materials (such as PDF copies of presentation slides). Test your access to Hightail. (If your network blocks you from access Hightail, during the event our conference team will be able to assist you with alternative ways to receive your course materials.
  • Google Drive apps are used for collaborative learning activities. If you are not able to use Google Docs or Sheets, you will be able to download copies of the activity materials, but may not be able to fully participate in group work. Test your access to Google Docs.
  • Miro is an online whiteboarding tool and is used for collaborative learning activities in some courses. You can download the Miro app or open a Miro link in your browser.
Will my internet connection be fast enough?

You will need a stable internet connection with a minimum of 3 Mbps (up and down) in order o participate in 
NN/g virtual courses. Ideally, a faster connection speed of 25 Mbps download and 5Mbps upload is recommended to ensure HD video and audio quality. If you are using a WIFI network, disconnect all other devices from that network to improve the streaming quality. Check your internet connection speed.

Can I join from my phone or tablet?

We do not recommend attending our classes from a small-screen device. Although you will be able to connect to the meeting, it will be difficult to see the detailed examples shared during class. It will also be extremely difficult to participate in collaborative exercises which require typing and interactive documents.