Technology Category
- Sensors - Level Sensors
Applicable Industries
- E-Commerce
- Education
Applicable Functions
- Maintenance
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Speech Recognition
- Time Sensitive Networking
Services
- System Integration
- Testing & Certification
About The Customer
Shopify is a leading e-commerce software company headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The company was co-founded by Daniel Weinand, who ensured that design was a fundamental part of Shopify's DNA from the very beginning. Today, Shopify has a team of design leaders who continue to evolve the role of design in everything the company creates. With over 3,000 employees spread across five locations, Shopify offers a broad portfolio of products and services. Despite its size and complexity, the company is known for its unified user experience and innovative design philosophy.
The Challenge
Shopify, a leading e-commerce software company, faced a significant challenge in maintaining a unified user experience across its broad portfolio of products and services. With over 3,000 employees spread across five locations, the task of ensuring a consistent design philosophy and voice was daunting. The company needed a solution that would allow them to maintain their design DNA while also providing room for exploration and expansion. Additionally, the company's decentralized organizational structure, while promoting autonomy and leadership, posed potential risks such as isolation of designers and a weakened design culture.
The Solution
Shopify addressed these challenges by developing Polaris, a comprehensive design system that encapsulates the company's style, voice, and design philosophy. Polaris is staffed like a product, with a dedicated team responsible for its maintenance and growth. Rather than being a rigid standard, Polaris serves as a baseline for all designs to build upon, allowing plenty of room for exploration and expansion. To further unify efforts, Shopify implemented regular alignment meetings between design, engineering, product, and the CEO. The company also hosts local cross-UX meetups and an annual internal conference, UX Summit, to share current work and discuss challenges and opportunities. The company's organizational structure was also adjusted to better reflect the level of leadership and autonomy they wanted their teams to have across the company.
Operational Impact
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