Yolk: Building a Scalable Design System for Cuckoo

Context & Challenge

As part of Cuckoo’s brand relaunch, we aimed to create a consistent, delightful, and scalable digital experience across all customer touchpoints. To achieve this, we needed a design system that would unify our visual language, streamline design and development workflows, and support rapid product iteration.

The challenge:

Develop a comprehensive design system from the ground up that covers core UI components, colour palettes, typography, and spacing rules.
Ensure the system supports both customer-facing platforms (Account portal, native app) and internal tools.
Maintain organisational-wide accessibility and version control in a collaborative environment.

See design system

My Role

As the sole designer on the Yolk project, working alongside a team of engineers and the VP of Product, I:

Led the end-to-end creation of the design system, establishing foundational components and guidelines.
Designed the system within Figma at an organisational level, ensuring seamless integration with existing and future product files.
Maintained ownership of the master file, coordinating weekly updates and releases with leadership to keep the system evolving and consistent.

Approach & Process

Foundation Building
- Defined core visual principles aligned with Cuckoo’s refreshed brand identity.
- Created a comprehensive palette of colours, typography scales, and spacing rules.
- Developed fundamental UI components—buttons, inputs, cards, navigation—ensuring accessibility and responsiveness.
Collaboration & Governance
- Established processes for version control and access management within Figma.
- Partnered with engineering to ensure components translated smoothly into code and aligned with development priorities.
- Worked closely with the VP of Product for strategic oversight and prioritisation.
Rollout & Adoption Planning
- Positioned Yolk for phased rollout across internal tools, external communications, and customer-facing platforms.
- Documented guidelines and best practices to support cross-team adoption and consistency.

Current Status & Impact

Yolk is steadily growing in scope and maturity, serving as the backbone for Cuckoo’s digital experiences.
The design system has already improved efficiency by reducing duplicated effort across teams.
It establishes a scalable foundation for future product innovation and brand consistency.