White Label Component Library - Lead Designer
50% faster development, 10+ clients
Problem
Development teams were recreating similar components across products, slowing down development and creating inconsistency. Enterprise clients needed white label customization, but building custom components for each client was time-consuming. How might we create a product library that accelerates development while enabling white label customization?
What I did
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Created a comprehensive product library with white label components that accelerated development speed
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Led design system contribution processes, establishing guidelines and review workflows for component contributions
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Established library governance processes including contribution guidelines, review processes, and release cycles
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Mentored designers on component design patterns and best practices for reusable components
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Defined processes for component design, development, documentation, and release management
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Managed design and development releases ensuring quality and consistency across the library
My key contribution
Led the creation of a white label component library that accelerated development by 50% and enabled customization for 10+ clients.
Highlight:
I created a comprehensive product library with white label components, establishing library governance, contribution processes, and design system practices. By mentoring designers and defining clear processes, I enabled 50% faster development for new features and white label customization for 10+ clients.
Results & Impact
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Launched comprehensive product library with reusable components
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50% faster development for new features
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Enabled white label customization for 10+ clients
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Established library governance and contribution processes
Overview
The White Label team at Booking.com needed to support 10+ enterprise clients with custom branding and component variations, but each customization required significant development time and design work. The department faced challenges of slow development cycles, inconsistent component implementations, and difficulty scaling white label customization across multiple clients. Without a centralized component library, teams were rebuilding similar components for each client, creating maintenance overhead and inconsistent experiences. In a competitive white label market where faster customization and deployment are key differentiators, the team needed a product library that could accelerate development while enabling consistent, scalable customization.
To comply with my non-disclosure agreement, I have omitted and obfuscated confidential information in this case study. All information in this case study is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of Booking.com.
How might we create a product library that accelerates development while enabling white label customization?
How I structured the problem space to guide design decisions
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speed through reusable components
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consistency through shared patterns
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flexibility through white label customization
Using audit of existing components and stakeholder interviews, I identified that the key was creating a flexible component library that could be customized while maintaining core functionality.
Information Architecture
Content coming soon...
Designing modular, scalable components that integrate across the product ecosystem
Approach
Benefits
- •Reduces technical debt through reusable components
- •Enables faster iterations and scalability
- •Creates enterprise-scale solutions
Navigating complexity through cross-functional collaboration
I worked closely with designers to establish component patterns and contribution processes, with engineers to design component APIs and customization mechanisms, and with product managers to prioritize library features. I facilitated design system workshops and mentored designers on component design. Regular syncs with development teams ensured the library met real-world needs.
Challenges and trade-offs
This project required balancing reusability with customization, creating a library that worked for multiple clients while maintaining consistency.
Key Challenges and Solutions
White Label Customization Without Code Duplication
We needed components that could be customized for different clients without creating separate codebases. I designed a token-based system where visual customization (colors, typography, spacing) happened through configuration, while core functionality remained consistent.
Library Governance and Contribution Process
We needed a process for teams to contribute components while maintaining quality and consistency. I established contribution guidelines, review processes, and release cycles that enabled collaboration while ensuring the library remained cohesive.
Mentoring Designers on Component Design
Designers needed guidance on designing reusable components. I created design patterns, best practices, and mentoring sessions that helped designers create components that were both flexible and consistent.
What I learnt
Building the product library taught me that library governance is as important as the components themselves. Creating great components is important, but establishing contribution processes, review workflows, and mentoring practices is what makes a library sustainable. The key was understanding that a product library needs to serve both designers and developers, requiring clear APIs, documentation, and customization mechanisms. This experience reinforced the importance of systems thinking in component design, where creating reusable, customizable components enables teams to move faster while maintaining consistency.
Feedback
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