Tools — 19
A score is a starting point, not a verdict.
Twenty-four questions across four dimensions — documentation, versioning, governance, adoption — scored against published maturity models. The result is a snapshot of where your design system is today and three next steps for each dimension. Nothing leaves the browser.
Start the assessment
A 24-question self-assessment across documentation, versioning, governance and adoption. Derived from recurring criteria in the Sparkbox and Rangle design-system maturity models, Nathan Curtis' governance writing, the InVision Design Maturity Model and the CMMI level logic.
24 questions · about 10 minutes
Reference
The Design System Maturity Check is a 24-question self-assessment that scores a design system across four dimensions — documentation, versioning, governance, and adoption — against published maturity models. It runs entirely in the browser, stores nothing on any server, and returns concrete next steps for the level you reached.
What does it measure?
Four dimensions, six questions each, weighted by how much each practice load-bears. Documentation covers whether the system is written down and findable. Versioning covers whether consumers know what changed and when. Governance covers who decides, how fast, and whether the process is documented. Adoption covers whether teams actually use the system and whether it tracks itself.
Options are scored 1–5. The dimension score is the weighted mean of answered questions; the overall score is the unweighted mean of dimension scores. Unanswered questions are excluded, not penalised.
Where do the questions come from?
Every question cites a published model or standard: Nathan Curtis's maturity model, the W3C Design Tokens specification, the Design Tokens Community Group format, or the Vantra governance framework. The sources are shown alongside each question so a team lead who disagrees can trace the criterion back to its origin.
What happens with my answers?
Nothing leaves the browser. Answers are stored in localStorage under a single key. The share link encodes the answers in the URL fragment — the part after the #, which browsers do not send to any server. There is no analytics, no tracking, and no account.
You can export the result as Markdown or JSON, copy a share link, or delete everything with one click. The JSON export is designed for diffing: run the check again next quarter and compare the two files to see your trend.
| Level | Name | Score range | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initial | 1.00–1.49 | Practices are informal or absent. |
| 2 | Managed | 1.50–2.49 | Practices exist but depend on individual effort. |
| 3 | Defined | 2.50–3.49 | Practices are documented and followed consistently. |
| 4 | Measured | 3.50–4.49 | Practices are tracked and improved by data. |
| 5 | Optimised | 4.50–5.00 | Practices are continuously refined and exemplary. |
Common questions
- Is this an audit?
- No. It is a self-assessment. The score reflects what you report, not what an external review would find. Use it as a starting point for conversation, not as a certificate.
- How long does it take?
- About ten minutes. You can skip any question you cannot answer yet — it will not count against you — and return later. Your progress is saved in the browser.
- Can I share my result with my team?
- Yes. The share link encodes only the selected options, not free-text notes. Anyone with the link sees the same scores and next steps. Nothing is sent to a server.
- How often should I run it?
- Once a quarter is a good cadence. Export the JSON each time and diff the files to see whether scores moved. The next steps update automatically based on the new level.