Idox Design System
Role
Product Designer
Employer
Idox PLC
Platform
Web & Mobile Apps
Design Framework
Tailwind
The Problem
Idox Group required a unified design system to support a wide range of internal and client-facing applications—yet no system previously existed. The challenge was not only to create something from the ground up, but to ensure it could flexibly support multiple products with varied branding requirements across different sectors.
My approach
Drawing on my experience working for the publisher Dorling Kindersley—where each title and companion app required a distinct visual identity—I applied a similar philosophy at Idox. Each application needed to adhere to different brand aesthetics depending on the client, but at it’s core Tailwind principles such as colour and typography ramps could create a standard base.
Impact
Leveraging a utility-first approach alongside a robust set of design tokens and variables I created a truly structured yet adaptable system. Custom components will over time become sunsetted and replaced with standard Tailwind components allowing experiences to become more consistent,, and more predictable for the user across different applications.
Variable theming then allows Idox to create a system that scales. One day work could commence on an internal web platform and use the standard Idox blue as it’s core theme, the next we can create mobile apps dedicated to conservation in partnership with the National Trust and utilise their brand aesthetic.
The system was also compatible with Ai in mind. Designed using atomic design practices, the system could be fed into tools like Motiff whereby anyone within a product team could prompt and create with context and better accuracy.
