Building accessible, scalable,
and innovative design system for designers
Nokia Design System
Nokia is a global leader in telecommunications and networking technology, driving innovation in 5G, cloud infrastructure, IoT, and digital health.
As a Junior UX Designer, I have collaborated with a dynamic team of developers and designers to create and maintain the internal design system for multiple Nokia digital products.
My primary role involved ensuring accessibility compliance with WCAG standards, managing the icon library, documenting new patterns and guidelines for AI products, and conducting design audits.
📅 Year
Jan 2024 - Dec 2024
🔧 Tools
Figma, Storybook, Miro, Jira,
Supernova, JAWS, MS Excel
📝 Note: Due to NDA restrictions, this case study highlights the key tasks I contributed to during my co-op experience at a high level. All images are sourced from publicly available Nokia Pure resources.
If you'd like more details about my work, feel free to contact me via email!
Enhancing accessibility
Ensuring accessibility was one of the core priorities for our team. In addition to adhering to WCAG AA standards, the library supported AAA color contrast by implementing high-contrast modes for both light and dark themes. I conducted accessibility reviews on several components, focusing on touch target sizes and color contrast across themes. I also utilized JAWS screen reader software to ensure our design system was fully keyboard navigable and optimized for screen reader use.
During this process, we uncovered several accessibility issues within our chart components, which led me to research industry standards and user expectations to improve their usability and accessibility.
Icon library management
Starting in May, I took on the responsibility of managing the icon library for our design system. This involved handling requests for new icons, making edits, and leading initiatives like introducing animated icons. The role required strong task management, clear communication with both designers requesting the icons and developers implementing them, and a solid understanding of icon design guidelines and library management.
Designing new components and patterns for AI tools
In September, I collaborated with a senior designer to develop new components and patterns specifically for AI tools. The goal was to design intuitive, user-friendly UI components that not only showcased AI capabilities in line with industry standards but also blended seamlessly with our existing component library. I focused on crafting patterns that were adaptable and ensured smooth interaction with AI systems.
Given that NokiaGPT already had over 10,000 users prior to my involvement, it was essential that my designs integrated harmoniously into the existing system without causing disruption. I also prepared a clear, well-organized documentation with the team lead to ensure that future teams could easily access and implement the new components and patterns.
Conducting design audits
In October, our team began conducting design audits with product team designers to better understand the effectiveness of our components. It was essential for us to identify both what was working well and areas that needed improvement. I took charge of assessing the use of slots within our library, as well as analyzing how the data grid component was being implemented in various products.
The audit process involved 1:1 meetings with designers, where I gathered insights into their workflows, pain points, positive feedback, and suggestions for system improvements. This collaborative effort provided valuable input for refining our design system.