Why Designers Waste Time Building Systems from Scratch

I used to do this all the time. Every new project, I’d open a blank Figma file and start building a “perfect” system from scratch. New buttons, fresh grids, another color palette. It felt creative at first, but after a few projects I realized something: I was rebuilding the same structure over and over again.

Sure, each product looked different, but 80% of the foundation was identical — the same layout spacing, the same typography logic, the same UI patterns. I was wasting days on things that didn’t really change.

At some point it clicked. I didn’t need another “new” system; I needed a solid base that could evolve with each project. A system that’s simple enough to adapt but structured enough to save time.

That’s how I discovered the value of lightweight design systems — the ones that give you a clean starting point without locking you into someone else’s aesthetic. You just drop it in, adjust a few styles, and start designing.

If that sounds like something you’ve been missing too, you should try this one:
My simple design system