The Challenge
Every team was solving the same problems differently.
Citibanamex · 2018–2019
Building a Shared Design Language Across a Banking Ecosystem
From disconnected design teams to a collaborative design system adopted across multiple digital products.
- Company
- Citibanamex
- Role
- UX/UI Designer · Design System Ambassador
- Duration
- 2018 – 2019
- Responsibilities
- Component Design · Documentation · Workshop Facilitator · Cross-team Collaboration
- Tools
- Sketch · Atomic Design · Agile
Project A — buttons
Project B — buttons
Project C — buttons
Project D — buttons
The issue wasn't the lack of talented designers. It was the lack of a shared language.
Before the Design System
Every designer worked differently. Every project defined its own buttons, inputs, spacing, and navigation from scratch. No shared components existed — every screen was, in a sense, its own small design system.
From Conversation to Initiative
The initiative wasn't born from management. It started with conversations between designers who were experiencing the same frustrations.
The lead of Mobile proposed forming a group. Each platform elected a representative. My lead invited me for:
Organization
Critical thinking
Collaboration
Visual quality
Reusable component experience
Building Together
Workshops every two weeks
Cadence
Every other Thursday
Participants
5 ambassadors
10–16 designers
Deliverables
- Meeting notes
- Sketch updates
- Documentation
- Component proposals
Problem identified
Workshop discussion
Vote
Prototype
User validation (if needed)
Documentation
Library update
Defining the Foundations
GridSpacingTypography
ColorElevationIconsStates
Atoms
Molecules
Desktop
Mobile
Sketch file — atoms to molecules
Governance, Not Just Components
A new component didn't appear because someone wanted it. It followed a process.
Problem
Discussion
Vote
Pending
Guerrilla testing
New review
Documentation
Publication
Buttons
Inputs
Cards
Navigation
Dropdowns
Tabs
Forms
Feedback
Applying the System
Home
Forms
Promotions
Onboarding
Card Management
Errors
Adoption Across Teams
More than a library, a shared practice.
The design system became part of our internal UX conversations. During company-wide UX gatherings we shared updates, aligned design decisions, and encouraged adoption across multiple digital products.
As Design System Ambassador, I participated representing the initiative and collaborating with other teams to maintain a consistent experience.
Designing systems means designing collaboration.
Consistency is negotiated
A good system evolves through discussion, not imposition.
Documentation matters
The best component is useless if nobody understands when to use it.
Adoption is the real metric
A design system succeeds when teams choose to use it.
Impact
Team
- Shared vocabulary.
- Faster collaboration.
- Reusable solutions.
Product
- More consistent interfaces.
- Reduced design duplication.
- Better user experience across products.
Organization
- Cross-team alignment.
- Reusable patterns.
- Foundation for future digital products.