My 2025 predictions for the future of design systems

Predictions

• AI will integrate into delivery workflows

• Tooling will close the craft gap

• Accessibility will be the default

• Systems will become more streamlined

AI will integrate into delivery workflows

The AI race is heating up, and design systems are primed for an evolution. Think Figma files auto-synced to production specs, component changes managed effortlessly, and updates flowing seamlessly across your org.

Design updates pushed to code, code synced back to Figma—it’s closer than you think. AI can also be the ultimate quality cop, catching misuse and accessibility issues before engineers touch them. Smarter, faster, better.

Tooling will close the craft gap

It’s not just AI that is making design → dev → customer more effective. The wall between design and code is coming down. Tools like Figma’s Code connect and Ready for dev are already bridging the divide, pushing front-end UI toward a single entity instead of two competing worlds.

Why is a single source of truth important for design systems? Here’s the pain point: changing a button or text field means syncing design and code manually, which is slow, expensive, and error-prone. I believe the future is a unified source of truth where design and code evolve symbiotically—change it in one place, and it updates everywhere.

Tools like Dessn.ai and Polipo are showcasing what can be done today. Dessn.ai allows you to make WYSYWIG changes to your production site and a PR is automatically created in code. Polipo takes a different approach, where code and design are in a continuous sync with each other, with changes in Figma instantly showing in production.

Aspirational design libraries will phase out

Aspiration design libraries are component libraries that don’t match their code counterparts, they’re often filled with mismatched props, incorrect components, and a bias toward design management over handoff—these are productivity black holes.

Organisations are in “do more with less” mode. Aspirational libraries slow things down, forcing engineers to decipher specs and wrestle with misaligned component properties. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

The future? Design systems with developer empathy. Most engineers want accurate (not pixel-perfect) Figma specs that link directly to the source of truth in the system. No guessing games, no translation layers. I expect to see more libraries become closer to code and unlock the productivity benefits parity comes with it.

Accessibility will be the default

It’s almost 2025, folks—time to stop treating accessibility (a11y) like an afterthought. Let’s put it the form vs. function debate to rest and find the sweet spot between a11y and design systems.

Accessible design shouldn’t be optional anymore and we need to build more inclusive systems - let’s make it the norm.

The good news: AI is stepping in to decode WCAG compliance, making it easier than ever to bake accessibility into every component. Think seamless tab journeys, inclusive experiences, and no last-minute a11y firefighting.

I asked Sil Bormuller of Into Design Systems, what we thought 2025 will hold….

Systems will become more streamlined

Design systems are often seen as the go-to solution for anything reusable, but this can lead to teams taking on components and patterns that don’t really belong in the system. The result? A small team burdened with maintaining an ever-growing set of foundations, components, and patterns, while facing pressure to keep expanding the system’s remit.

Lately, I’ve seen a shift: large systems are “going smaller to go bigger.” By perfecting foundational elements like typography, icons, colors, spacing, and buttons, teams can build confidence in composing more complex UIs. In 2025, teams should push back against rigid, all-encompassing systems and instead prioritize flexible foundations that empower both designers and developers to design with confidence.