Decision Trees: 'Should This Be in the Design System?'

Not every component belongs in the global design system. If a team includes every one-off component in the core library, the system bloats into an unmaintainable monolith.

To decide whether a component belongs in the system, ask three fundamental questions:

1. Is it broadly reusable? Will at least three distinct product squads or user flows use this component over the next 6 months?
2. Does it contain business logic? If a component connects directly to specialized database queries, business APIs, or marketing campaigns, it belongs in product-space, not the design system.
3. Can it be composed? Can the need be met by combining existing atoms (e.g., a Card with an Avatar and Button) rather than inventing a new custom component?