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Common Component Library (CCL)

To support the organization’s goal of increasing development velocity and driving consistency across our product ecosystem, our UX team partnered closely with development to create a Common Component Library (CCL). The CCL served as the code-based counterpart to our Design Library and became the shared foundation for accessible, scalable UI components used across both new and existing products.  

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To comply with my non-disclosure agreement, I have omitted any confidential information. The information in this case study is my own interpretation and does not necessarily reflect the views of my employer. 

My Role

As the Director of UI/UX, I worked with my team across with Product and Engineering to guide component creation, review cycles, and system governance. The team ensured that each component met UX standards, was technically feasible, and aligned with long‑term product needs.

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System Foundation & Token Alignment

The CCL was built directly on top of our Design Library. During the transition, our team updated the entire library to use modern design tokens, aligning with industry standards and enabling global updates to color, spacing, typography, and elevation.
 

Components were created and shared through Figma, while Storybook housed the official coded versions paired with detailed usage guidelines.

StoryBook example
Development Workflow & Collaboration Tools

  • Storybook → central location for coded components and documentation

  • Chromatic → used to stage reviews and track feedback between UX and development

  • Jira → used for work tracking, scheduling, dependencies, and release alignment

  • CCL Treated as a Product → structured builds planned for every product release

Chromatic example
Governance & Component Lifecycle

Our UX team built a full governance model that defined:

  • How new components were evaluated

  • When components were required in the CCL

  • Exception rules for “snowflake” components

  • The decision process for whether a snowflake should later become standard
     

We also held multiple education sessions across Product and Development to ensure consistent adoption and correct usage.

Accessibility, Usability & Responsiveness

Each component adhered to strict standards including:

  • WCAG contrast requirements

  • ARIA labels for screen readers

  • Keyboard interaction rules

  • Consistent responsive behavior

  • Usability patterns aligned with our design system

Challenges

Despite clear benefits, establishing a unified CCL came with significant organizational and technical challenges:

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Siloed Product & Development Teams

Several products were owned by separate Product and Engineering units, each with its own priorities, timelines, and delivery pressures. These groups did not inherently share a unified goal around CCL adoption, which created recurring alignment challenges. To overcome this, our UX team had to:

  • Schedule regular syncs with each team

  • Advocate for consistent adoption

  • Reinforce why centralization mattered for long‑term efficiency
     

Adoption required ongoing effort, not a one‑time rollout.

 

Differing Technical Infrastructures

Two major products operated on unique architectures with additional layers of customization. These differences posed a risk of:

  • Components behaving inconsistently across products

  • Incompatibilities in how tokens or shared patterns were implemented

  • Delays in syncing feature needs between teams
     

This led to the potential need for two parallel CCLs, each managed and updated based on its own constraints. While this wasn’t ideal, it ensured:

  • Product teams remained unblocked

  • Each product could meet its technical requirements

  • Both libraries could still evolve toward shared patterns where possible

 

Governance Across Multiple Owners

Because teams were decentralized, establishing governance around component ownership, versioning, adoption deadlines, and release schedules required extensive cross‑functional collaboration. Building this alignment took time and continuous reinforcement.

The Final Word 

The Common Component Library is now used to build four brand-new products from the ground up, while also supporting modernization efforts for legacy applications. Despite the organizational and technical challenges, the CCL has delivered:

  • Faster development cycles

  • Consistent UX and UI patterns

  • Improved accessibility and usability standards

  • Stronger cross‑team collaboration

  • A scalable foundation for future product growth
     

It remains an evolving asset that adapts as new scenarios, patterns, and product needs emerge.

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