Dell Design System
Contributing accessible, enterprise-scale components to Dell's global design system — tooltips, dropdowns, tables, and data visualization across 10,000+ implementations.
Overview
Contributing accessible, enterprise-scale components to Dell’s global design system.
Company: Dell Technologies | Role: Product Designer | Mission: Fill component backlog with accessible designs | Components: Tooltips, Dropdowns, Tables, Data Viz | Timeline: 9 months
Key Metrics
- 10,000+ component implementations
- WCAG 2.1 accessibility compliance
- Global enterprise scale
Contributing to Enterprise Design
Primary Challenge
Design accessible components meeting WCAG 2.1 standards for implementation across Dell.com, Apex strategic cloud platform, and 10,000+ digital experiences throughout Dell’s ecosystem.
Key Challenges
- Enterprise Accessibility — Dedicated A11Y specialists to meet WCAG 2.1 compliance
- Global Collaboration — Presenting designs to stakeholders across time zones and continents
- Massive Scale — Designing for thousands of internal users
- Business-Critical Platforms — Components deployed on Dell.com driving global e-commerce revenue and Apex hybrid cloud product enabling enterprise customers
Key Components Delivered
Tooltip Component
Challenge: Needed contextual help that works across desktop and mobile devices
Research: Analyzed other design systems and compared tooltips to popovers
Innovation: Designed touchscreen interactions with tap-to-dismiss functionality
Standards: Reviewed for accessibility, globalization, and developer handoff
Pie Chart Component
Challenge: Needed accessible data visualization for enterprise dashboards and reporting tools
Research: Developed accessible color palette with high contrast ratios ensuring readability for color-blind users
Innovation: Designed responsive charts with integrated tooltips and keyboard navigation for business intelligence
Standards: Implemented data validation ensuring segments total 100% and comprehensive developer documentation
Dropdown Component
Scope: Single-select, multi-select, and filterable options
Process: Leveraged existing system components for consistency
Standards: Reviewed for accessibility, globalization, and developer handoff
Table Component
Collaboration: Cross-functional project with design and engineering teams
Comprehensive: Five table size ranges with three density variants
Accessibility Learning: Removed tooltip-in-header feature after A11Y testing revealed screen reader issues
Results & Impact
Strategic Business Value
- Components deployed across Dell.com driving global e-commerce revenue
- Integrated into Apex strategic hybrid cloud product for enterprise customers
- WCAG 2.1 compliance met legal requirements and inclusive design commitments
- Accessibility standards particularly critical for data visualization components
Scale & Adoption
- 10,000+ implementations across Dell Digital experiences
- Measurable usage tracked through Figma insertion data
- Consistent user experience across multiple products
- Enterprise-level accessibility standards consistently applied
Engineering & Design Efficiency
- Reduced defects and engineering overhead
- Faster onboarding and enablement for engineers and designers
- Smoother development processes and faster release cycles
- Improved design consistency across Dell Digital platforms
