Foundations establish the base layer of your system. They cover tokens, naming, accessibility, and testing practices that make everything built on top more consistent and scalable. Without strong foundations, components become fragmented and hard to evolve. This strategy ensures the basics are solid before you build higher-level patterns or roll out changes across teams. Use it early and revisit it whenever standards or tokens need rework.
How to
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Start with an audit
Run the Audit tactic to capture what already exists across design and code. Use this evidence before making structural decisions.
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Create naming standards
Work through Token Naming Standards to decide how tokens are structured and layered. If working across brands, use Cross-Brand Consolidation. Validate with Match That Token or Name That Icon.
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Set up token management
Define how tokens are versioned, updated, and distributed with Token Management.
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Check accessibility
Run an Accessibility Review to ensure tokens support inclusive design.
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Test usability
Apply Usability Testing to confirm tokens, components, or templates make sense in real workflows.
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Invite critique
Run a Design Crit to stress test early work and gather feedback across disciplines.
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Release foundations
Follow the Release tactic to roll out changes, update guidance, and communicate clearly so teams adopt with confidence.