126. Scaling Avalara's Design System to Support a Growth-By-Acquisition Strategy

Design Systems Podcast

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Many enterprise organizations face the challenge of scaling their design systems as the scope of product support expands through adoption and acquisition.

In this episode of the Design Systems Podcast, host Chris Strahl speaks with Will Rodenbough, Senior UX Designer at Avalara, about the critical role of design systems in enabling scalability and supporting a growth-by-acquisition strategy.

Key Topics Covered:

• Scaling Through Systems Thinking: How Avalara's design system harmonizes diverse products across its growing ecosystem.
• Supporting Growth-by-Acquisition: Strategies for integrating acquired companies into a unified design system.
• Collaboration and Accessibility: Ensuring stakeholder alignment and prioritizing accessibility as a foundation for scalable design.

Listen to discover how Will leverages design systems to drive scalability and growth in a multi-product organization.

View the transcript of this episode.

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Guest

Will Rodenbough is a Senior UX Designer based in Seattle with over a decade of experience working at startups and industry-leading tech companies. He has been the design lead on the Avalara design system since its inception in 2018, collaborating with teams across the company to provide scalable and accessible solutions that emphasize a thoughtful balance between consistency and flexibility.

Host
Chris Strahl is co-founder and CEO of Knapsack, host of @TheDSPod, DnD DM, and occasional river guide.
Sponsor
Sponsored by Knapsack, the design system platform that brings teams together. Learn more at knapsack.cloud.