Creating a Modular Design System for Platform Growth
Building Visual and Interaction Consistency Across Devices
Senior UX/UI Designer
2022-2024
GreenWave is a nonprofit that supports ocean farmers through sustainable marine practices. One of their key digital tools is Seaweed Source, a B2B platform for buyers and sellers of seaweed to connect and help grow their business.
Context & Goals
I joined the Seaweed Source team in 2022 during the Design System phase. The MVP had already been built, and the product was transitioning toward its next iteration. My goal was to establish a scalable design system that could bring visual consistency, support product growth, and reduce friction for both users and developers.
The platform needed a modular UI to support both buyer and supplier workflows, a responsive design that worked seamlessly on web and mobile, and clear interaction patterns for transactional tasks like search and filtering.
Design System
I worked alongside the Lead Product Designer to create a modular Figma design library tailored to the platform’s needs. The system included core UI components and patterns optimized for transactional flows, mobile responsiveness, and filter usability.
Our goal was to unify design practices and improve visual clarity, while supporting scalability for future product growth and smoother developer collaboration.
Design System Implementation
We built interconnected component libraries in Figma, adapting the core visual identity to suit each product’s needs. The system included buttons, form fields, navigation patterns, iconography, and modular design tokens for typography, color, and spacing. We also produced clear documentation to support scalability and smooth developer handoff across different teams. Rather than enforcing a rigid system, we prioritized modularity and flexibility, creating interfaces that felt familiar across platforms while staying tuned to their specific functional contexts.
UX Improvements and Interaction Design
My contributions included refining the search results and filtering experience to help buyers locate partners and listings by a variety of criteria, including seaweed type, species, format, capacity, and location. I also ensured the filter and card components worked seamlessly across desktop and mobile layouts for a consistent and intuitive experience.
Challenges
Because I wasn’t involved in the research or MVP build, one of the biggest hurdles was onboarding through existing files and secondhand insights. I had to reverse-engineer some design decisions and align the new system without disrupting in-progress development. Additionally, the B2B nature of the platform added complexity around data structure, filter behavior, and user expectations.
Outcomes
The design system significantly accelerated cross-functional delivery, reduced inconsistencies, and simplified future iterations. Internal feedback highlighted improved usability, especially in the search and filtering flows. The visual language we built became the foundation for a more cohesive and scalable platform.