Global Design System — Computershare | Mahesh Malekar
Semantic tokens, pattern library, and structured developer handoff — design at global scale.
Client
Computershare
Role
Sr. UI/UX Lead
Period
Apr 2024 – Aug 2024
Overview
Computershare operates financial services products across 20+ markets. I was brought in to build a scalable global design system — establishing semantic design tokens, a documented component library, and a structured developer handoff process that could serve multiple product teams simultaneously.
The challenge
Product teams across different markets were building inconsistently — duplicated components, conflicting colour values, and no shared documentation. The result was visual fragmentation, slow development cycles, and expensive rework.
My role
Led the design system build from token architecture through to Zeroheight documentation. Conducted colour audits across existing products, defined the semantic token structure, and established the developer handoff process.
Process
Audit
Audited 5 existing product UIs. Catalogued 200+ unique colour values, 40+ type styles, and 80+ component variants — identifying consolidation opportunities.
Token Architecture
Defined a 3-tier semantic token system: global → alias → component. Mapped all colour, typography, spacing, and elevation values.
Component Library
Built 60+ components in Figma with full variant coverage. Each component documented with usage guidelines, do/don't examples, and accessibility notes.
Documentation
Published the full design system on Zeroheight. Structured for both designers (usage guidance) and developers (token values, code snippets).
Handoff
Ran handoff workshops with 3 engineering teams. Established a contribution model so teams could propose new components through a governed review process.
Outcomes & impact
60+
Components documented and shipped
200+
Colour values consolidated into a semantic token system
3×
Faster UI development reported by engineering teams
Deliverables
Tools
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