Universal UI guidelines
Creating a unified and accessible design language for every digital application across the organisation.
Design Ops
2025
The brief
To ensure recognition and build trust, every digital application across the organization—from core products to white-labeled portals—needed to reflect a single, cohesive brand identity. However, varied technical constraints across different platforms often led to inconsistent user experiences. We needed to establish a clear set of principles and patterns that allowed the brand to be applied consistently, regardless of the underlying technology.
The Strategy
The project was approached as a "guide, not a mandate." Rather than enforcing rigid rules that might break in more restrictive environments (like legacy CMS sites or white-labeled portals), we provided a flexible framework. This ensured that even where a full design system couldn't be used, teams had the necessary guidance to maintain the brand’s intent, behavior, and visual clarity.
The Execution
The guide extracted the decisions we had already made in our Design System and focused on the elements that would need styling in all applications. These were the major points of focus
Clearly outline two distinct palettes—a "Brand" palette for identity and expression, and a "UI" palette optimized specifically for accessibility and legibility (WCAG AA)
Establish clear heading and body styles that provide a consistent tone
Guidance on commonly used UI components like buttons and icons
Examples of how the styles have been applied.
