Wabtec Volt 2: Design System Redesign
Situation
At Wabtec, we faced the challenge of maintaining consistency across a diverse range of digital products. Each product had its own design approach, leading to inefficiencies and a disjointed user experience. Recognizing the need for a unified system, we decided to upgrade our existing Volt design system to Volt 2.
Task
My role was to lead the redesign of the Volt 2 design system, using Figma and ZeroHeight. The goal was to ensure the system was adaptable, user-friendly, and scalable across all digital platforms at Wabtec.
Action
I initiated the project by gathering input from both designers and developers to understand their needs and pain points. Using Figma, we created a flexible set of design tokens and themes that supported both light and dark modes. We closely monitored component usage through Figma's analytics, identifying a high rate of component detachment, which led to further refinements based on user feedback. To facilitate ongoing updates and collaboration, we integrated ZeroHeight for real-time documentation, ensuring all team members had access to the latest design guidelines.
Result
As a result of these efforts, the detachment rate of components decreased from 20% to 5%, significantly improving design consistency across products. The new Volt 2 system enhanced collaboration between teams, reduced design and development times, and received positive feedback for its ease of use and flexibility. This project not only improved our product interfaces but also set a new standard for how we approach design system development at Wabtec.