Team
UI/UX Designer (me)
Product Manager
Full Stake Enginner
Impact
14 days
Speed of Delivery
100%
Team Adoption
This is a freelance project. LINKSS is an early stage B2B startup building an AI powered semantic search platform. Their goal is to connect and manage semiconductor suppliers between Taiwan and Japan. They brought me on as their sole UI and UX designer to build their very first website.
I only had two weeks to do it. I worked closely with one product manager and one full stack engineer. Together, we did not just ship a website, we built a scalable design system from scratch that ensured visual consistency, development efficiency, and long-term maintainability.
The Problem
No Visual Identity and Extreme Time Pressure
The client had no defined style and we had to ship a fully functional website in just 2 weeks.
When I joined, the startup was a blank canvas. They had absolutely no visual tone or brand guidelines. My job was to help them define their aesthetic from the ground up while simultaneously designing the actual product all in 2 weeks. I knew we could not afford to waste time on endless revisions, so I had to be extremely strategic and structured.
The process 1
First, Defined the Visual Style and Structure
I gathered visual references to lock in a credible look and completely reorganized the page hierarchy.
We started with a blank canvas. I collected visual references to establish a professional B2B aesthetic. Next, I audited their early concepts to identify basic visual atoms like colors and typography. Once we had a clear style, I restructured the entire information hierarchy. I wanted to make sure the content flow was logical and incredibly easy for users to scan.
Observed recurring UI patterns and broke dowm into atoms.
Ensured clear information hierarchy.
The process 2
Then, Built Components with Auto Layout
I turned basic design elements into modular components that adapt to any screen size and content length.
With the architecture set, I moved into building the actual interface. I designed modular elements like buttons, dropdowns, and cards. I applied Figma auto layout to every single piece. This ensured that the designs were completely flexible and could easily adapt whenever the product manager or engineers needed to change the text.
The process 3
Finally, Variables and WCAG Accessibility
I used advanced Figma variant and variables to organize the system and followed accessibility guidelines.
To make the system truly scalable, I set up Figma variants for different component states and used variables to manage colors and spacing. Finally, I checked the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. I ensured all tappable areas were large enough, the typography was readable, and the color contrast was accessible for everyone.
The Impact
Yay
Shipped the complete website in two weeks and delivered a complete design system.
14 days
Speed of Delivery
100%
Team Adoption
Retrospection
The Value of Design Systems
A well-structured design system is not extra work! it’s a time-saver and quality booster, especially in tight deadlines.
Great Communication w. Clients
Helping clients define their goals early avoids confusion later and speeds up the decision-making process