You don’t have to start from scratch to make an impact on a design system and viewing it solely as a "UI kit" is a limiting perspective. A design system is a product. Like any other product it evolves with input from users — both internal (feature teams) and external (customers).

Improvements come in various forms:

• Consolidating buried components into a library

• Introducing new components

• Enhancing efficiency of existing components

• Making accessibility improvements

• Enhancing documentation and organization

It also involves:

• Adapting processes within team structures

• Developing adoption strategies

• Socializing changes and increasing visibility

• Coordinating feature team contributions

• Collaborating with engineering on reviews and refinement

• Providing support through training and resources

• Responding to user feedback

• Tracking progress and measuring impact

• Developing roadmaps for system initiatives

While an existing design system may seem complete, look for signals and gathering insights reveals potential for useful change. Embracing a product mindset creates a thriving design system to better support teams and makes better user experiences.