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In short, this article describes how I as a design systems consultant can help companies who already have their own design systems and teams. But if yourself you are a design system professional, don't drop the reading. It can be "what I can do next at my job too"!

In past few years, we all have seen seen how design systems evolve from simple collections of buttons and color tokens into powerful tools that influence how entire companies develop products, foster collaboration across different disciplines, and maintain quality as they scale. Yet, even the most talented design system teams frequently find themselves repeatedly explaining the importance of their work, handling a stream of ad-hoc requests, managing ever-shifting priorities, and struggling to demonstrate their impact beyond just announcing that they've released a new component.

“So… what do you actually do?” — every recruiter, manager, and well-meaning relative ever, to every Design System Engineer ever. Ask any Design System Engineer to pick a lane and you’ll get a nervous laugh. Are they a frontend developer? A designer? A product manager? A DevOps wizard? The answer, as it turns out, is wonderfully complex: they're all of them.

Recently, a mentee asked me to describe the variety of challenges I faced as a design system architect, or basicaly "what exactly do you do?". It's a question I often hear, and it always takes me back to my own journey. As someone who started as a frontend developer and evolved into a design systems architect, I can say that the path is rarely linear—it's more of a holistic evolution, encompassing a wide range of responsibilities and skills.

When it comes to setting up a development environment, everyone has their own preferences and tools. Recently, I embarked on a quest to refine my setup, and it turned out to be quite an enlightening journey. I sought advice from different sources, including fellow developers and AI assistants like ChatGPT. Here''s a summary of what I found and how I set up my current development environment.

In the digital age, effective collaboration is the backbone of any successful project. Whether you're an in-house team member or an external consultant, integrating your workflow with the company's systems and protocols is not just beneficial—it's essential. Today, I dive into a common yet often overlooked aspect of project collaboration: using a company-specific email with your existing GitHub account. This seemingly small step can significantly streamline communication and project tracking, ensuring that your commits are signed correctly and that notifications reach you through the appropriate channels.