Leading scalable product experiences
Caleb Smith
Design Systems Lead
Hailing from Cincinnati, OH, I have a passion for illustration, disc golf, and a slight obsession with RPGs. Serving at my church brings me joy, as does being a foodie and living life with my wife, two children and a spunky black and white cocker spaniel.
My current/past project partners
My case studies
Partnering with product teams so they can be the star of their show
I enable enterprise teams to turn scattered components/patterns into cohesive component libraries. With developers and AI models, these systems allow product teams focus on solving customer problems.
Citrus Design System - Native mobile components
Kroger
Design system creation - From Figma to code
Aspen Dental Group (TAG)
Acres Design System - Systemic audit and pattern creation
Meijer
Website design system - Code/MCP server workflow
Riley Safer Holmnes Cancila
Enterprise web application
ClaimPro Liability - Insurance claim processing
Progressive Insurance
My process 📋
How I build systems
With my repeatable framework, establishing token frameworks and components is only the basics. Really understanding a teams needs needs context, users, stakeholders and goals to succeed.
Below is an example of a process I go through with practical steps for alignment on enterprise systems:
Discover & Align
Understand the designers, stakeholders and existing goals and define them all together:
For example, I would map out a current pathway to component creation in FigJam or interview designers on their current experiences.
Audit & Examine Current Systems
Audit the current files related to the system such as Figma files, current app screens, patterns and more:
Collect all assets, foundational elements like tokens, pages and more .
Draw out a presentation to identify gaps, inconsistencies and opportunities for improvement.
I create a list of recommendations on which improvments to start with such as token renaming workshops, creating a backlog of component creation or create contribution or governance models to help grow the system.
Design & Document
Integrate into product or systems teams to create components and guidance:
Partner with leaders to plan 3-Month Product Initiative Plannings (PI's) to create a systems roadmap
Involve designers, developers and systems leaders early and often to iterate, review and present our progress to executive and enterprise teams.
Test & Govern
Validate our systems work with testing, code connect, establish MCP Server and more:
Set governance such as criteria for creating components, how designers can submit components for review and set up reviews for components.
Present our work and process to measure adoption and evaluating the system.
Evolve & Scale
Work closely with developers to hand off design files as they deliver the main product/user flows.
Stay close to product teams to address new component and pattern needs.
Gain metrics such as component detachments, contribution rates and ROI of system to the business.
Conduct quarterly planning and retro sessions to evaluate what's working well, what could be better and what aspects we need to prioritize next in the system's evolution.
About me 👋
Let's create systems that thrive!
I have been joyfully turning complex ecosystems and disjointed pages in many industries such as healthcare, grocery, tech, law, insurance and more into simple, reusable concepts and patterns that designers and developers alike can trust.
7+ years of experience
Design Systems Lead
One North - A TEKsystems Company
09/25 - Present
Leading/mentoring teams to improve design system governance, consistency and delivery at scale to establish stronger practices across an organization.
Senior UX/UI Designer
Insight
01/22 — 06/25
Lead UX initiatives for enterprise software and web application development, collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance user engagement through research-driven insights.
UX Designer
Fifth Third Bank
11/19 — 12/21
Contributed to modernizing their mobile banking experience, contributed to the design system, and conducted usability testing to refine user interactions.
UI Design Apprentice
Alchemy, a P&G Company
10/19 (Two weeks)
Completed an accelerated UI design program, gaining experience in digital product design and development methodologies.
UX Designer & Consultant
Freelancing
03/19 - Until I retire
Provided UX design strategy for clients, improving digital experiences through competitive analysis and brand-aligned design solutions. Always down for the right side project!
Want more detail? Get my resume
My digital coworkers
Messaging & resources 💬
Let's connect!
Want to network? Want to collaborate or think I am a fit for a role you are hiring for? Feel free to drop a message! I always love hearing from others and making new connections!
