Rebuilding a Global Design System for a Multi-Brand Enterprise
Modernizing Design Infrastructure Across Global Teams
Abercrombie & Fitch’s digital ecosystem spanned multiple brands and platforms, each operating with fragmented tools and outdated design standards. Our small, three-person design systems team, consisting of my manager, myself, and a mid-level designer I oversaw, was tasked with modernizing the company’s design infrastructure, unifying its visual language, and improving accessibility and governance across all digital products. The challenge required leading a complete migration from Sketch to Figma, defining new component architecture and library organization, and establishing scalable governance that could support both internal and franchise partners worldwide.
A Unified, Scalable System with Global Impact
I led the development of a unified, scalable Figma-based design system that redefined components, metadata, typography, and structural foundations to support long-term growth and consistency across global teams. This included building governance documentation, accessibility frameworks, and training programs that standardized workflows and elevated accessibility compliance company-wide. The system was adopted across international product teams and extended to franchise partners through connected Figma projects, localized onboarding, and structured QA processes. As a result, design and development duplication was reduced by 40%, handoff speed improved by 30%, and accessibility compliance strengthened, reducing legal exposure. The framework also enabled consistent localization and brand alignment across regions, earning recognition as a Franchise Winner and two-time Ezra Fitch Award nominee for design leadership and innovation.
