From consistency to inclusivity: The growing role of design systems in modern QA
Earlier this month, Leighton QA Manager Kennedy Bonsu took to the stage at Trusted Tech Talks in Manchester to deliver a session on the emergence of design systems and their growing importance in shaping modern digital products. His talk explored how design systems are becoming the foundation for building accessible, scalable, and consistent user experiences.
The event brought together a community of technology leaders and professionals from across the North West - including experts from the BBC, Barclays, and S&P Global, to share perspectives on the future of software development.
In this blog, Kennedy breaks down the main themes from his talk and highlights why they matter for any organisation aiming to create digital products that are both inclusive and efficient.
A design system is a centralised collection of reusable components, patterns and guidelines that helps organisations achieve consistency and efficiency when building digital products, as well as ensuring consistent approaches to accessibility. It serves as a single source of truth, bringing together reusable, accessible building blocks that enable teams to design and develop with great speed, cohesion, and quality. Companies like Google, IBM, and Microsoft have shown how design systems such as Material Design, Carbon, and Fluent UI can drive efficiency and cross-platform scalability. When a team invests in a design system, they’re not just improving workflows; they’re establishing an ecosystem that supports inclusivity and high-quality design across every product touchpoint.
Design systems are becoming more intelligent, automated, and scalable. Products are now span multiple platforms, browsers, and devices which means consistency and predictability become increasingly complex to manage.
Accessibility is also becoming an increasing focus for QA teams. Design systems will continuously evolve, automate, and build with accessibility at their core. This is a crucial reminder of the importance QA will play in maintaining consistency and preventing changes across environments. This will help you to innovate quickly while ensuring that inclusivity and reliability remain non-negotiable.
Accessibility isn’t just about compliance, it’s about inclusion. In the UK, one in five users lives with a disability, making accessible design a responsibility that directly impacts millions. Regulations such as the Equality Act 2010, the European Accessibility act, and WCAG 2.2 make accessibility a legal requirement, with financial penalties for those who ignore it. But the real cost of neglecting accessibility is excluding people who could otherwise use and love your product.
Accessibility means designing experiences that everyone can navigate and understand. From keyboard navigation and screen reader support to colour contrast and clear semantics, every detail matters. When products are designed for inclusivity, they become more usable, intuitive, and enjoyable for everyone.
The traditional QA model where we test at the end of development no longer fits the pace of modern product delivery. Today’s QA professionals are involved from the very start of a project and have a say in shaping accessibility and usability from the ground up.
By integrating automated testing tools like Playright, Percy, and Axe-core, QA ensures visual consistency, prevents regressions, and detects accessibility issues early. Manual testing with keyboards and screen readers complements automation, ensuring products perform as real users would expect. Modern QA teams champion accessibility and can prevent issues before they reach users.
For any organisation looking to scale, adopting a design system rooted in accessibility is both a smart, strategic decision. Teams that build with reusable, tested components deliver faster, reduce bugs, and stay compliant with accessibility standards.
Beyond efficiency, they create products that welcome every user. A well-structured design system enhances collaboration between design, development, and QA, aligning everyone to consistently deliver accessible, high-quality digital experiences at scale.
To learn more from Kennedy and understand why design systems are becoming much more important across digital products and services, you can watch his full talk here. Alternatively, you can connect with him on LinkedIn here.
Earlier this month, Leighton QA Manager Kennedy Bonsu took to the stage at Trusted Tech Talks in Manchester to deliver a session on the emergence of design systems and their growing importance in shaping modern digital products. His talk explored how design systems are becoming the foundation for building accessible, scalable, and consistent user experiences.
The event brought together a community of technology leaders and professionals from across the North West - including experts from the BBC, Barclays, and S&P Global, to share perspectives on the future of software development.
In this blog, Kennedy breaks down the main themes from his talk and highlights why they matter for any organisation aiming to create digital products that are both inclusive and efficient.
A design system is a centralised collection of reusable components, patterns and guidelines that helps organisations achieve consistency and efficiency when building digital products, as well as ensuring consistent approaches to accessibility. It serves as a single source of truth, bringing together reusable, accessible building blocks that enable teams to design and develop with great speed, cohesion, and quality. Companies like Google, IBM, and Microsoft have shown how design systems such as Material Design, Carbon, and Fluent UI can drive efficiency and cross-platform scalability. When a team invests in a design system, they’re not just improving workflows; they’re establishing an ecosystem that supports inclusivity and high-quality design across every product touchpoint.
Design systems are becoming more intelligent, automated, and scalable. Products are now span multiple platforms, browsers, and devices which means consistency and predictability become increasingly complex to manage.
Accessibility is also becoming an increasing focus for QA teams. Design systems will continuously evolve, automate, and build with accessibility at their core. This is a crucial reminder of the importance QA will play in maintaining consistency and preventing changes across environments. This will help you to innovate quickly while ensuring that inclusivity and reliability remain non-negotiable.
Accessibility isn’t just about compliance, it’s about inclusion. In the UK, one in five users lives with a disability, making accessible design a responsibility that directly impacts millions. Regulations such as the Equality Act 2010, the European Accessibility act, and WCAG 2.2 make accessibility a legal requirement, with financial penalties for those who ignore it. But the real cost of neglecting accessibility is excluding people who could otherwise use and love your product.
Accessibility means designing experiences that everyone can navigate and understand. From keyboard navigation and screen reader support to colour contrast and clear semantics, every detail matters. When products are designed for inclusivity, they become more usable, intuitive, and enjoyable for everyone.
The traditional QA model where we test at the end of development no longer fits the pace of modern product delivery. Today’s QA professionals are involved from the very start of a project and have a say in shaping accessibility and usability from the ground up.
By integrating automated testing tools like Playright, Percy, and Axe-core, QA ensures visual consistency, prevents regressions, and detects accessibility issues early. Manual testing with keyboards and screen readers complements automation, ensuring products perform as real users would expect. Modern QA teams champion accessibility and can prevent issues before they reach users.
For any organisation looking to scale, adopting a design system rooted in accessibility is both a smart, strategic decision. Teams that build with reusable, tested components deliver faster, reduce bugs, and stay compliant with accessibility standards.
Beyond efficiency, they create products that welcome every user. A well-structured design system enhances collaboration between design, development, and QA, aligning everyone to consistently deliver accessible, high-quality digital experiences at scale.
To learn more from Kennedy and understand why design systems are becoming much more important across digital products and services, you can watch his full talk here. Alternatively, you can connect with him on LinkedIn here.
Earlier this month, Leighton QA Manager Kennedy Bonsu took to the stage at Trusted Tech Talks in Manchester to deliver a session on the emergence of design systems and their growing importance in shaping modern digital products. His talk explored how design systems are becoming the foundation for building accessible, scalable, and consistent user experiences.
The event brought together a community of technology leaders and professionals from across the North West - including experts from the BBC, Barclays, and S&P Global, to share perspectives on the future of software development.
In this blog, Kennedy breaks down the main themes from his talk and highlights why they matter for any organisation aiming to create digital products that are both inclusive and efficient.
A design system is a centralised collection of reusable components, patterns and guidelines that helps organisations achieve consistency and efficiency when building digital products, as well as ensuring consistent approaches to accessibility. It serves as a single source of truth, bringing together reusable, accessible building blocks that enable teams to design and develop with great speed, cohesion, and quality. Companies like Google, IBM, and Microsoft have shown how design systems such as Material Design, Carbon, and Fluent UI can drive efficiency and cross-platform scalability. When a team invests in a design system, they’re not just improving workflows; they’re establishing an ecosystem that supports inclusivity and high-quality design across every product touchpoint.
Design systems are becoming more intelligent, automated, and scalable. Products are now span multiple platforms, browsers, and devices which means consistency and predictability become increasingly complex to manage.
Accessibility is also becoming an increasing focus for QA teams. Design systems will continuously evolve, automate, and build with accessibility at their core. This is a crucial reminder of the importance QA will play in maintaining consistency and preventing changes across environments. This will help you to innovate quickly while ensuring that inclusivity and reliability remain non-negotiable.
Accessibility isn’t just about compliance, it’s about inclusion. In the UK, one in five users lives with a disability, making accessible design a responsibility that directly impacts millions. Regulations such as the Equality Act 2010, the European Accessibility act, and WCAG 2.2 make accessibility a legal requirement, with financial penalties for those who ignore it. But the real cost of neglecting accessibility is excluding people who could otherwise use and love your product.
Accessibility means designing experiences that everyone can navigate and understand. From keyboard navigation and screen reader support to colour contrast and clear semantics, every detail matters. When products are designed for inclusivity, they become more usable, intuitive, and enjoyable for everyone.
The traditional QA model where we test at the end of development no longer fits the pace of modern product delivery. Today’s QA professionals are involved from the very start of a project and have a say in shaping accessibility and usability from the ground up.
By integrating automated testing tools like Playright, Percy, and Axe-core, QA ensures visual consistency, prevents regressions, and detects accessibility issues early. Manual testing with keyboards and screen readers complements automation, ensuring products perform as real users would expect. Modern QA teams champion accessibility and can prevent issues before they reach users.
For any organisation looking to scale, adopting a design system rooted in accessibility is both a smart, strategic decision. Teams that build with reusable, tested components deliver faster, reduce bugs, and stay compliant with accessibility standards.
Beyond efficiency, they create products that welcome every user. A well-structured design system enhances collaboration between design, development, and QA, aligning everyone to consistently deliver accessible, high-quality digital experiences at scale.
To learn more from Kennedy and understand why design systems are becoming much more important across digital products and services, you can watch his full talk here. Alternatively, you can connect with him on LinkedIn here.
Earlier this month, Leighton QA Manager Kennedy Bonsu took to the stage at Trusted Tech Talks in Manchester to deliver a session on the emergence of design systems and their growing importance in shaping modern digital products. His talk explored how design systems are becoming the foundation for building accessible, scalable, and consistent user experiences.
The event brought together a community of technology leaders and professionals from across the North West - including experts from the BBC, Barclays, and S&P Global, to share perspectives on the future of software development.
In this blog, Kennedy breaks down the main themes from his talk and highlights why they matter for any organisation aiming to create digital products that are both inclusive and efficient.
A design system is a centralised collection of reusable components, patterns and guidelines that helps organisations achieve consistency and efficiency when building digital products, as well as ensuring consistent approaches to accessibility. It serves as a single source of truth, bringing together reusable, accessible building blocks that enable teams to design and develop with great speed, cohesion, and quality. Companies like Google, IBM, and Microsoft have shown how design systems such as Material Design, Carbon, and Fluent UI can drive efficiency and cross-platform scalability. When a team invests in a design system, they’re not just improving workflows; they’re establishing an ecosystem that supports inclusivity and high-quality design across every product touchpoint.
Design systems are becoming more intelligent, automated, and scalable. Products are now span multiple platforms, browsers, and devices which means consistency and predictability become increasingly complex to manage.
Accessibility is also becoming an increasing focus for QA teams. Design systems will continuously evolve, automate, and build with accessibility at their core. This is a crucial reminder of the importance QA will play in maintaining consistency and preventing changes across environments. This will help you to innovate quickly while ensuring that inclusivity and reliability remain non-negotiable.
Accessibility isn’t just about compliance, it’s about inclusion. In the UK, one in five users lives with a disability, making accessible design a responsibility that directly impacts millions. Regulations such as the Equality Act 2010, the European Accessibility act, and WCAG 2.2 make accessibility a legal requirement, with financial penalties for those who ignore it. But the real cost of neglecting accessibility is excluding people who could otherwise use and love your product.
Accessibility means designing experiences that everyone can navigate and understand. From keyboard navigation and screen reader support to colour contrast and clear semantics, every detail matters. When products are designed for inclusivity, they become more usable, intuitive, and enjoyable for everyone.
The traditional QA model where we test at the end of development no longer fits the pace of modern product delivery. Today’s QA professionals are involved from the very start of a project and have a say in shaping accessibility and usability from the ground up.
By integrating automated testing tools like Playright, Percy, and Axe-core, QA ensures visual consistency, prevents regressions, and detects accessibility issues early. Manual testing with keyboards and screen readers complements automation, ensuring products perform as real users would expect. Modern QA teams champion accessibility and can prevent issues before they reach users.
For any organisation looking to scale, adopting a design system rooted in accessibility is both a smart, strategic decision. Teams that build with reusable, tested components deliver faster, reduce bugs, and stay compliant with accessibility standards.
Beyond efficiency, they create products that welcome every user. A well-structured design system enhances collaboration between design, development, and QA, aligning everyone to consistently deliver accessible, high-quality digital experiences at scale.
To learn more from Kennedy and understand why design systems are becoming much more important across digital products and services, you can watch his full talk here. Alternatively, you can connect with him on LinkedIn here.
