The challenge

Each platform in NZPost's suite was a completely new experience for the user to learn
Scrum teams worked in silos, duplicating research, design and coding work
Designers spent excessive time researching new components and patterns.
Internal conflicts over insignificant design decisions.
A fast approaching rebrand meant something needed to change, fast.

The solution

We implemented a design system.
We leveraged Google Materials research-backed open source design system (we didn't need to re-invent the wheel here). Then customised the components to suit our brand identity.
A single source of truth: A central repository for design elements and guidelines, where every style, element and interaction and was defined.
Shared responsibility of design by not just designers, but developers, QA and PO's.
A toolkit that designers could drag and drop pre-defined elements to build screens fast.
An always-updated design system site for internal and external use.
A streamlined process to maintain and improve the design system.
A shared language about design details. (Whenever we need to say 'that's not the right red').

The impact
‍* Designers weren't walking blindfolded anymore. Every decision, every design element, every interaction was backed by this blueprint.

It ensured uniformity across platforms.
Design variables are centrally managed and many instances are managed in one place.
We immediately saw a massive reduction in errors and a speed-up in design delivery times.
‍
Here's how we leveraged the system to overhaul the user experience and rebrand NZPost's digital space.
Transformed website from an unsupported platform to a new modern one.
Designed & built a brand-new parcel tracking tool.
Designed & built a platform for small businesses to ship parcels.
Redesigned & built a tool find NZPost locations.
Redesigned & built a tool find postcodes to send to the right address.
And as a testament to the design system's power, we upgraded our colors, fonts and brand assets to align with NZPost's new brand identity.