Bridging the Gap Between Abstract and Concrete
Picture a massive pile of LEGO bricks dumped out on a table. Now imagine those same bricks separated, organized by color or size or function. How much easier is it to build when the components you need are right at hand?
Pattern libraries are a great way to start “sorting the pile,” but they don’t always go far enough.
You don’t really see how these things get used. You don’t see these things in context. You don’t see how these basic LEGO blocks combine together to form the final interface.
With atomic design, you can see how the components fit together—how they interact with each other. You can create consistent, cohesive experiences. And ultimately, you end up with a robust system that the client can use in the future, versus a handful of page templates that only work with the current use case.
adapted from “Building Design Systems From Atomic Elements,” a Virtual Seminar by Brad Frost.