Overview

The Intelligence Community Design System is an innovative initiative aimed at enhancing the efficiency and user-friendliness of tools utilized by the UK’s Intelligence Community, including MI6, GCHQ, MI5, and HMGCC. This collaborative effort ensures that various capabilities are not only powerful but also accessible across different technological stacks. The design system focuses on creating a unified user experience while maintaining flexibility and robust capabilities to support national security.

This project exemplifies the commitment of the United Kingdom’s Intelligence Community to develop quick-to-build solutions that are user-centric and reliable. By utilizing a range of expertise and continuous improvement practices, this design system aims to integrate the best accessibility standards while remaining adaptable to evolving technological needs.

Features

• Accessible UI Components: The design system is built with accessibility as a priority, ensuring that all interfaces are usable for everyone, including people with disabilities.

• Framework Compatibility: Components can be installed for various frameworks, including Svelte, Vue, and React, allowing developers to seamlessly integrate them into their existing projects.

• Storybook Integration: Storybook is used during development, offering a visual platform for developers to build and test components in isolation, which enhances development efficiency.

• Local Development Support: Developers can build and install components locally, which facilitates effective testing and integration into applications in a local development environment.

• Community Contributions: The design system draws inspiration from existing successful design systems, like the Government Digital Service (GDS), and encourages community feedback to foster continuous improvement.

• No Extra Configuration Needed: The installation process is straightforward, with no additional configuration required for internal systems, simplifying the setup for developers.

• Monorepo Structure: Utilizing a monorepo with Lerna allows for streamlined component management and easier dependency handling across the project.

• Fast Development Cycle: With the npm link feature, developers can speed up their build process, making it quicker to see changes in real-time during development.