Unifying Arrive’s Digital Ecosystem with a Singular DLS
Arrive Logistics, a fast-growing Austin startup, needed a stronger design foundation to support its rapid growth. When I joined, the design team was new, consisting of myself, a principal designer, and another senior UX designer.
Building and Growing the Design Language System
When I joined Arrive Logistics, there was an existing design system in place, but it wasn’t functioning as a cohesive, scalable tool. My primary focus, alongside the carrier portal, became the development of a robust DLS that would support both internal teams and external customers. This journey, spanning over two to three years, was built upon frequent feedback and iterations. We focused on refining components, developing guidelines, and creating a flexible system that could adapt to the company’s evolving needs.
One of the biggest improvements was identifying where the old system fell short. For example, the legacy system didn’t offer enough flexibility for scaling across multiple teams, and it didn’t account for the unique needs of the carrier portal. To address this, I worked on breaking apart the existing structure, starting with the components most relevant to the carrier portal. Once these were successful and approved, they were integrated back into the legacy system, creating a more cohesive structure over time.
The DLS ultimately had a profound impact on the team and the company. By reducing uncertainty and offering a unified set of guidelines, it empowered teams to work more efficiently and with greater clarity. The principles we followed Bold, Approachable, Straightforward, On Your Side, and Strategic were instrumental in shaping the direction of the DLS. These principles provided a clear framework for decision-making, helping everyone align on design intent. My role involved constant collaboration with engineers, product managers, and designers, ensuring the DLS was adopted and utilized correctly. I also mentored newer designers on how to implement components, typography, and color in their work. This helped grow the system and refine it based on real-world usage and feedback.
How the DLS Addressed Internal and External Product Concerns
One of the key areas of concern for the DLS was how it would address both internal and external product needs. As the company grew, the need for a scalable and user-friendly DLS became even more crucial. I consulted with various teams to ensure the system aligned with their goals, especially focusing on how it could support Arrive’s first customer-facing product. We looked at how to compete with industry leaders like JB Hunt, Uber Freight, and Convoy while addressing internal system requirements for freight users.
Another major challenge was ensuring the DLS would work across different platforms and environments. This included enhancing accessibility and ensuring the system was WAG 2.0 compliant. At the same time, we had to balance the needs of the internal teams with those of the external users, which sometimes caused friction. The internal teams had different use cases for legacy components, which added complexity to the system.
In line with the On Your Side principle, we ensured that the DLS empowered decision-making by providing the right inputs for internal teams at the right moments. This helped mitigate the scattered information and siloed data issues we had been facing. Additionally, we applied the Strategic principle by anticipating future design and scaling needs. This foresight helped shape the system in a way that would adapt to both current and future challenges.
I also identified the need for a thorough understanding of the user. I advocated for a more strategic approach to ensure the system would meet future business and team needs. I frequently communicated with my VP of Design to propose solutions for the gaps in our research and planning processes.
Establishing Stakeholder Trust and Team Buy-In
Building trust with stakeholders and getting the team on board with the DLS was critical to its success. Regular communication with engineers and product managers helped align everyone on the importance of the system and its potential to enhance both internal workflows and the user experience. I made sure the DLS was not just a set of design rules but a flexible system that could evolve based on feedback from all teams involved.
By maintaining a consistent focus on the Straightforward and Strategic principles, I was able to present the DLS as a clear and efficient path forward. This approach helped stakeholders understand how the system could reduce redundancies, create clarity, and ultimately improve product outcomes. I was also able to get team buy-in by showing the tangible benefits.
Key DLS Foundations
As the system took shape, we focused on several key areas to ensure its success:
Accessibility: We worked to make the system compliant with accessibility standards, although there were challenges, like working within Arrive's primary sky blue color. This limitation created some friction, but we found ways to ensure the system remained as accessible as possible. We ensured that the system remained user-friendly for all skill levels.
Content Design: A key element was establishing UX writing best practices, including style guides for specific components such as deadhead styling, price or rate styling, and date/time pickers.
Interaction: The system’s interaction guidelines addressed the key states (enabled, disabled, focused, etc.) for different UI components, like checkboxes, cards, chips, and buttons.
Layout: I worked to ensure the DLS supported responsive design, adaptable to various device sizes, from mobile to large desktop screens.
Styles and Components: The DLS featured a variety of styles and components, including typography, colors, icons, and custom map styling. We also included a comprehensive set of UI elements such as buttons, badges, cards, and tooltips, ensuring consistency across the product’s interface.
Overcoming Challenges and Iterating the DLS
The journey of building the DLS was not without its challenges. We faced the pressures of a fast-paced startup environment, where resources were limited, and the product team’s priorities often shifted. However, by continuously iterating and improving the DLS based on feedback, we were able to create a system that helped align the team and reduce the design debt that had been accumulating.
One of the most important outcomes was how the DLS contributed to the internal culture at Arrive Logistics. It wasn’t just a tool for designers, it became a shared language for teams across the company. It helped the engineering team understand design intent, allowed product managers to articulate features more clearly, and gave everyone a clearer path forward for scaling the product. The system reduced uncertainty and provided a foundation that was flexible enough to evolve as the company grew.
Competitive Edge and Future Plans
As Arrive Logistics began to expand its customer-facing products, the DLS played a crucial role in helping the company compete with larger players in the freight brokerage space. By building a more unified, consistent product experience, we were able to create a design that was not only functional but also user-friendly.
Looking ahead, the DLS laid the groundwork for the company's future growth. It wasn’t just about creating a design system, it was about building a scalable, adaptable foundation that would support the product as it evolved. This system became a key asset in ensuring that Arrive could maintain consistency across teams, stay competitive in the market, and deliver a product that truly met the needs of its users.