Evolving the system through brand, meaning and usability
Following improvements to ACE documentation and tooling in Part 1, the next phase focused on evolving how the design system was represented and experienced.
ACE (Ansarada common elements) had grown into a critical foundation for product development, but its identity and documentation experience no longer reflected the maturity of the system or the direction of the Ansarada brand.
Part 2 focused on redefining ACE visually and conceptually. This included introducing a new identity and modernising the documentation interface to align with Ansarada’s updated brand language.
The problem
ACE functioned well as a system, but it lacked a clear identity.
The documentation felt disconnected from the broader product experience and from Ansarada’s evolving brand. As the company refreshed its visual direction, inconsistencies became more noticeable.
This created several challenges:
- The design system felt separate from the product it supported
- Documentation appeared dated compared to newer product experiences
- ACE lacked a recognisable identity that communicated its purpose
- The system’s value was not immediately clear to new contributors
As ACE adoption increased, clarity and cohesion became more important.
Opportunity
Rather than treating ACE as an internal tool, we saw an opportunity to position it as a living system with its own meaning and narrative.
The goal was to make ACE feel:
- Intentional
- recognisable
- aligned with product and brand evolution
- easier to navigate and understand
This was not purely a visual exercise. It was about reinforcing how design systems bring complexity together into something coherent.
Concept
The new ACE identity was inspired by a Tangram.
A tangram is formed from multiple geometric shapes that combine to create endless configurations. Individually simple pieces come together to form something more complex and purposeful.
This became a metaphor for the design system itself.
Components, tokens and patterns act as individual pieces. When assembled thoughtfully, they create robust and flexible user interfaces.
The identity helped communicate what ACE represents rather than just what it contains.
Approach
1. Define the visual language
The ACE logo and identity system were redesigned to reflect modularity and composition.
The Tangram concept allowed the system to visually express:
- flexibility
- structure
- collaboration between parts
- scalability of interfaces
The identity needed to feel modern while remaining simple enough to sit comfortably within the Ansarada ecosystem.
2. Align with the evolving Ansarada brand
At the same time, Ansarada was introducing an updated brand language, first explored through the website redesign project. ACE documentation became an opportunity to extend this new visual direction into internal tooling.
The documentation UI was modernised to:
- adopt updated typography and colour usage
- improve hierarchy and readability
- create consistency between product, marketing and system documentation
This helped ACE feel like part of the product experience rather than an external reference.
3. Improve usability through visual refinement
The redesign was not aesthetic alone. Visual updates were used to improve comprehension and navigation.
Key improvements included:
- clearer information hierarchy
- improved scanning behaviour for developers and designers
- better separation between guidance, examples and technical details
- reduced visual noise
The aim was to make information easier to consume during real working moments.
Solution
A refreshed ACE design system identity paired with a modernised documentation interface aligned to the new Ansarada brand.
The result:
- A recognisable visual identity grounded in system thinking
- Documentation that felt current and cohesive
- Improved usability through clearer structure and hierarchy
- Stronger connection between design system and product experience
Outcome
ACE transitioned from a functional internal library into a more mature design system with a clear presence and purpose.
The redesign helped:
- reinforce adoption through familiarity and clarity
- align internal tools with external brand evolution
- strengthen trust in ACE as a long-term foundation
- communicate the value of systems thinking across teams
It also demonstrated how brand and design systems can work together to support organisational alignment.
What I learned
Design systems are as much about meaning as they are about components.
When people understand the story behind a system, adoption becomes easier. Identity creates recognition, and recognition builds trust.
This project reinforced the idea that coherence across brand, product and systems creates stronger experiences for both teams and users.
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