Building industry’s first cross-medium design system component libraries
I co-led the creation of Whirlpool’s HMI Design System component libraries, replacing a resource-heavy and designer-dependent design process with a slick, unified framework. These libraries successfully consolidated fundamental design, development, and operational decisions into a single source of truth, effectively neutralizing the friction caused by fragmented cross-functional silos and elevating product quality across the board.
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Key context
Whirlpool Corp. produces appliances globally that engage users through mixed mediums, including digital screens, printed surfaces, and physical electronic components. Historically, this cross-medium ecosystem was resource-intensive due to fragmented, project-specific, and passive decisions. I was challenged with architecting a single framework of reusable assets to empower global design teams, ensuring that consistent design decisions efficiently made and seamlessly translated into engineering development while reducing institutional resource reliance.
impacts
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increase in project development speed.
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reduction in project resource allocation.
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increase in cross-functional collaboration efficiency.
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Name, Role
Deliverable
I led a team of 3 delivered a comprehensive suite of Figma component libraries architected around Whirlpool's unique global HMI requirements. These assets respect the distinct design principles of physical versus digital design, align with diverse engineering workflows and intricate cross-functional partners.
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Project highlights
challenge
Bridging mix-medium design assets
Architecting a library that accounts for disparate user-centric principles while connecting cross-functional partner workflows across different technical tools and mediums.
key process
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Strategic Global Portfolio Audit
Beyond a standard product audit, I partnered and built trust with long-tenure SMEs to learn the complex product architecture across mediums. I mocked up physical understanding to accurately transform tangible mechanical constraints into a high-functioning digital-based library.
Bi-Directional Design Approach
I utilized a synchronized "Bottom-up" method for atomic assets and a "Top-down" method for nested components, applying them to live projects for immediate, practical impact and iterative modernization.
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Active Adoption and Advocacy
I focused on cross-functional implementation and team growth to ensure the system was adopted as a value-driver, not just a document.
success factors
High stake Curiosity
I leveraged a hands-on designer perspective to ensure components were user-centric, respected legacy constraints to ensure buy-in at all corporate levels, and remained future-proof.
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Deep Stakeholder Integration
Embraced the complexity of an industry-first library by keeping stakeholders in the loop, turning the library into a "living piece" of the organization.
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Sustainable Growth Mindset
Maintained an impact-driven focus to earn leadership exposure, ensuring the project received continuous value recognition.
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