As design systems mature and scale, the need for organization, hierarchy, taxonomies, controlled vocabulary, and more becomes apparent. This work is all second nature to information architects, but design system teams often overlook the need for this role. Likewise, not all information architects know about this wonderful opportunity of participating in creating a design system. This talk covers the opportunities from documentation site structure to defining component labels to design token taxonomy and naming conventions that await information architects. By the end of the talk, you’ll have an idea of how information architects can help shape and structure design systems for long-term success!
Michelle is a Design Advocate at zeroheight, where she serves the design community through knowledge sharing and building bridges. She loves information architecture, Modified-Delphi card sorting, and working with teams to untangle their design system IA messes. In her spare time, she career coaches underrepresented communities in tech and co-hosts a handful of podcasts. Michelle holds a Master’s in Interaction Design and Information Architecture from the University of Baltimore. She is an environmental justice advocate living in Oakland, California.