Design Extract

Identify reusable patterns, components, and design tokens, then extract and consolidate them into the design system for systematic reuse.

Reference files (read when analyzing design system structure or creating tokens):

• references/design-systems.md — Token categories, theming, component specs, naming conventions
• references/design-system-template.md — Meta-framework for fixed, project-specific, and adaptable elements

Discover

Analyze the target area to identify extraction opportunities:

1. Find the design system: Locate your design system, component library, or shared UI directory (grep for "design system", "ui", "components", etc.). Understand its structure:

   • Component organization and naming conventions
   • Design token structure (if any)
   • Documentation patterns
   • Import/export conventions

   If no design system exists, ask before creating one. Understand the preferred location and structure first.

2. Identify patterns: Look for:

   • Repeated components: Similar UI patterns used multiple times (buttons, cards, inputs)
   • Hard-coded values: Colors, spacing, typography, shadows that should be tokens
   • Inconsistent variations: Multiple implementations of the same concept (3 different button styles)
   • Reusable patterns: Layout patterns, composition patterns, interaction patterns worth systematizing

3. Assess value: Not everything should be extracted. Consider:

   • Is this used 3+ times, or likely to be reused?
   • Would systematizing this improve consistency?
   • Is this a general pattern or context-specific?
   • What is the maintenance cost vs benefit?

Plan Extraction

Create a systematic extraction plan:

• Components to extract: Which UI elements become reusable components?
• Tokens to create: Which hard-coded values become design tokens?
• Variants to support: What variations does each component need?
• Naming conventions: Component names, token names, prop names that match existing patterns
• Migration path: How to refactor existing uses to consume the new shared versions

Design systems grow incrementally. Extract what is clearly reusable now, not everything that might someday be reusable.

Extract and Enrich

Build improved, reusable versions:

• Components: Create well-designed components with:

  • Clear props API with sensible defaults
  • Proper variants for different use cases
  • Accessibility built in (ARIA, keyboard navigation, focus management)
  • Documentation and usage examples

• Design tokens: Create tokens with:

  • Clear naming (primitive vs semantic)
  • Proper hierarchy and organization
  • Documentation of when to use each token

• Patterns: Document patterns with:

  • When to use this pattern
  • Code examples
  • Variations and combinations

NEVER:

• Extract one-off, context-specific implementations without generalization
• Create components so generic they are useless
• Extract without considering existing design system conventions
• Skip proper TypeScript types or prop documentation
• Create tokens for every single value (tokens should have semantic meaning)

Migrate

Replace existing uses with the new shared versions:

• Find all instances: Search for the patterns you extracted
• Replace systematically: Update each use to consume the shared version
• Test thoroughly: Ensure visual and functional parity
• Delete dead code: Remove the old implementations

Document

Update design system documentation:

• Add new components to the component library
• Document token usage and values
• Add examples and guidelines
• Update any Storybook or component catalog