Goldcare
How a Scalable Design System Saved $45k/Year in Development Costs
My Role
UI Design - Design System Specialist
Challenge
Build a scalable Design System to eliminate inconsistencies and reduce rework between Design and Engineering.
Result
Design System reducing development and support hours, generating an estimated annual savings of $45,000 and a positive ROI of +$40,000 within the first year.
Deliverables
Design System, UI Design, Tokens, Components, Documentation, Research
My Role
UI Design - Design System Specialist
Challenge
Build a scalable Design System to eliminate inconsistencies and reduce rework between Design and Engineering.
Result
Design System reducing development and support hours, generating an estimated annual savings of $45,000 and a positive ROI of +$40,000 within the first year.
Deliverables
Design System, UI Design, Tokens, Components, Documentation, Research
My Role
UI Design - Design System Specialist
Challenge
Build a scalable Design System to eliminate inconsistencies and reduce rework between Design and Engineering.
Result
Design System reducing development and support hours, generating an estimated annual savings of $45,000 and a positive ROI of +$40,000 within the first year.
Deliverables
Design System, UI Design, Tokens, Components, Documentation, Research
As the company grew, each designer created interfaces in different ways, resulting in inconsistencies and rework between Design and Engineering.
At Goldcare, this led to misaligned interfaces and unnecessary operational costs.
As the company grew, each designer created interfaces in different ways, resulting in inconsistencies and rework between Design and Engineering.
At Goldcare, this led to misaligned interfaces and unnecessary operational costs.
As the company grew, each designer created interfaces in different ways, resulting in inconsistencies and rework between Design and Engineering.
At Goldcare, this led to misaligned interfaces and unnecessary operational costs.
I started by identifying which components and tokens generated the most inconsistencies and rework.
During internal research, I found dissatisfaction regarding collaboration between teams, especially in UI handoffs.
Most people reported a lack of standardization in sizes, colors, icons, buttons, and inputs, as well as difficulty locating specific interactions in Figma.
I started by identifying which components and tokens generated the most inconsistencies and rework.
During internal research, I found dissatisfaction regarding collaboration between teams, especially in UI handoffs.
Most people reported a lack of standardization in sizes, colors, icons, buttons, and inputs, as well as difficulty locating specific interactions in Figma.
I started by identifying which components and tokens generated the most inconsistencies and rework.
During internal research, I found dissatisfaction regarding collaboration between teams, especially in UI handoffs.
Most people reported a lack of standardization in sizes, colors, icons, buttons, and inputs, as well as difficulty locating specific interactions in Figma.
Even the simplest components were created manually.
Buttons and inputs were repeated more than 400 times across different screens, resulting in over 1,200 hours of rework and an annual cost of $45,000 just for these components.
Meanwhile, users needed new features, and the product was already in production.
Even the simplest components were created manually.
Buttons and inputs were repeated more than 400 times across different screens, resulting in over 1,200 hours of rework and an annual cost of $45,000 just for these components.
Meanwhile, users needed new features, and the product was already in production.
Even the simplest components were created manually.
Buttons and inputs were repeated more than 400 times across different screens, resulting in over 1,200 hours of rework and an annual cost of $45,000 just for these components.
Meanwhile, users needed new features, and the product was already in production.
Defining principles and promoting consistency
After identifying the main problems, I realized it was essential to build a new design system from scratch — one that could meet the needs of the business, users, and the team. The process involved defining principles, creating tokens, and standardizing components.
Defining principles and promoting consistency
After identifying the main problems, I realized it was essential to build a new design system from scratch — one that could meet the needs of the business, users, and the team. The process involved defining principles, creating tokens, and standardizing components.
Defining principles and promoting consistency
After identifying the main problems, I realized it was essential to build a new design system from scratch — one that could meet the needs of the business, users, and the team. The process involved defining principles, creating tokens, and standardizing components.
Before, the interface was entirely black and white, and the gold color appeared only in the logo, without reinforcing the brand’s premium positioning.
Based on user research and company metrics, we defined new principles guided by semantics and accessibility.
Gold became an emphasis token, while black was reserved for maximum readability. The color stopped being purely aesthetic and became functional within the Design System.
Before, the interface was entirely black and white, and the gold color appeared only in the logo, without reinforcing the brand’s premium positioning.
Based on user research and company metrics, we defined new principles guided by semantics and accessibility.
Gold became an emphasis token, while black was reserved for maximum readability. The color stopped being purely aesthetic and became functional within the Design System.
Before, the interface was entirely black and white, and the gold color appeared only in the logo, without reinforcing the brand’s premium positioning.
Based on user research and company metrics, we defined new principles guided by semantics and accessibility.
Gold became an emphasis token, while black was reserved for maximum readability. The color stopped being purely aesthetic and became functional within the Design System.
I worked on the tokens together with the developers from the beginning, ensuring compatibility with the standard they were already using in Chakra UI.
First, I adjusted taxonomies, sizes, spacings, and colors to mirror what existed in the code, this step formed the primitive tokens.
Then, I evolved them into semantic tokens, creating clear and intuitive names for both devs and designers. We tested the tokens directly in the screens to ensure anyone could understand and apply them without friction.
I worked on the tokens together with the developers from the beginning, ensuring compatibility with the standard they were already using in Chakra UI.
First, I adjusted taxonomies, sizes, spacings, and colors to mirror what existed in the code, this step formed the primitive tokens.
Then, I evolved them into semantic tokens, creating clear and intuitive names for both devs and designers. We tested the tokens directly in the screens to ensure anyone could understand and apply them without friction.
I worked on the tokens together with the developers from the beginning, ensuring compatibility with the standard they were already using in Chakra UI.
First, I adjusted taxonomies, sizes, spacings, and colors to mirror what existed in the code, this step formed the primitive tokens.
Then, I evolved them into semantic tokens, creating clear and intuitive names for both devs and designers. We tested the tokens directly in the screens to ensure anyone could understand and apply them without friction.
From chaos to clarity
From chaos to clarity
After mapping processes, identifying visual inconsistencies, and aligning expectations with the team, we transformed Goldcare’s design into an organized, scalable system guided by documentation.
The Design System not only brought consistency, but also enabled faster development of new features and saved $45,000 per year in development costs.
From chaos to clarity
After mapping processes, identifying visual inconsistencies, and aligning expectations with the team, we transformed Goldcare’s design into an organized, scalable system guided by documentation.
The Design System not only brought consistency, but also enabled faster development of new features and saved $45,000 per year in development costs.
Today, Goldcare uses the standards we defined from the beginning, Design System, tokens, UI guidelines, and organized documentation.
The main gains were:
• Scalability: any designer can maintain the same visual standard.
• Speed: less rework and faster deliveries.
• Savings: reduction in development and maintenance hours.
The Design System has become part of the company’s process, serving as a foundation for platform evolution and strengthening the brand’s presence in the digital space.
Today, Goldcare uses the standards we defined from the beginning, Design System, tokens, UI guidelines, and organized documentation.
The main gains were:
• Scalability: any designer can maintain the same visual standard.
• Speed: less rework and faster deliveries.
• Savings: reduction in development and maintenance hours.
The Design System has become part of the company’s process, serving as a foundation for platform evolution and strengthening the brand’s presence in the digital space.
Today, Goldcare uses the standards we defined from the beginning, Design System, tokens, UI guidelines, and organized documentation.
The main gains were:
• Scalability: any designer can maintain the same visual standard.
• Speed: less rework and faster deliveries.
• Savings: reduction in development and maintenance hours.
The Design System has become part of the company’s process, serving as a foundation for platform evolution and strengthening the brand’s presence in the digital space.
Working at Goldcare showed me, in a very practical way, that standardization is not about limiting creativity, it’s about removing complexity. When we build solid, well-thought-out components, we save hours, sometimes days, of future development.
I also realized that documentation is not a bureaucratic detail: it prevents subjective decisions, reduces rework, and gives the team autonomy to evolve the product without depending on the original designer.
In the end, I understood that design goes far beyond aesthetics. It is clarity, efficiency, and real business impact. When design makes people’s work easier and accelerates the company’s pace, that’s when it fulfills its true purpose.
