Interview frequency: …
Short answer
Use a hybrid contribution model and appoint a Core Team to set standards and review components, while letting designers and developers submit new proposals and needs through an approved RFC process.
Explanation
Strict centralized governance makes a system stagnant and encourages teams to bypass it and build secret local solutions. Ungoverned contributions pollute the system with duplicate components. The best model is federated: designers on product teams identify needs and create drafts; the Core Team checks accessibility and Design Token alignment, then makes approved components available to everyone.
Common mistakes
- Closing the Design System and preventing all changes or additions, forcing teams to break it and duplicate work.
- Accepting any component from any designer into the shared library without checking consistency with standards.