The timing problem in design systems

How perfectionism kills component adoption faster than bad code

Dec 3 • 

Murphy Trueman

2

November 2025

Tab Collection: November 2025

A monthly roundup of what I've been reading, building, and thinking about

Nov 27 • 

Murphy Trueman

The AI feedback loop: When design systems train the models that critique them

AI is learning from our design systems, and quietly reshaping them in return. Here’s what that feedback loop means for consistency, drift, and control

Nov 18 • 

Murphy Trueman

Slots and the control paradox: Why loosening your design system might save it

How Figma's newest feature exposes an uncomfortable truth about the way we've been building systems

Nov 12 • 

Murphy Trueman

2

2

October 2025

The bidirectional design system: When code talks back to design

How AI is shifting design systems from one-way handoffs to continuous, two-way sync – and what that means for how we build products

Oct 29 • 

Murphy Trueman

1

Your tokens have become infrastructure

How to build systems that survive scale, governance, and AI

Oct 23 • 

Murphy Trueman

2

2

September 2025

Why design system naming feels impossible

The real problem isn't the name itself – it's the mental overhead

Sep 23 • 

Murphy Trueman

2

August 2025

We're still terrible at the people parts

Why teams with perfect systems still build around them instead

Aug 14 • 

Murphy Trueman

2

July 2025

From component library to product engine

How design systems evolve to drive strategy and scale business intent

Jul 28 • 

Murphy Trueman

2

Signals from the top

What CEOs, research, and your own workflow are already telling you about design’s AI future

Jul 14 • 

Murphy Trueman

3

June 2025

What a car taught me about control, collapse, and creative repair

How rebuilding a Nissan 180SX changed everything I thought I knew about design

Jun 30 • 

Murphy Trueman

The hidden cost of design system entropy

How AI tools surface every shortcut and inconsistency

Jun 19 • 

Murphy Trueman

4