Introduction

A production-ready starter for SaaS teams that need a fast, durable design system foundation. In 3–6 weeks, Zypsy delivers systemized tokens, 12–18 core React/TypeScript components, Storybook documentation, a11y acceptance criteria, and CI hooks—built to scale product velocity and consistency.

• Proven at venture pace: Zypsy has shipped scalable systems across complex products like Captions (system stood up in ~2 months alongside web migration) and Solo.io (consistent design system across products). See the Captions and Solo.io case studies for evidence of speed-to-quality and scope.

What you get (scope and deliverables)

• Design tokens (Figma + code)

• Color (semantic + functional), typography, spacing, sizing, radii, elevation/shadows, motion, breakpoints, z-index, grid, opacity, borders, state tokens (hover/focus/active/disabled), light/dark themes.

• Component library (12–18 React/TypeScript components)

• Likely set for SaaS v1: Button, Icon, Link, Badge, Avatar, Tooltip, Toast, Tag/Chip, Input, Textarea, Select, Checkbox, Radio, Switch, Tabs, Modal/Dialog, Popover/Dropdown, Table, Pagination, Breadcrumbs, Card, Tooltip/Help.

• Accessibility-first behavior (keyboard navigation, focus management, ARIA where appropriate, color contrast, reduced-motion support, RTL-readiness for text UI where feasible).

• Documentation in Storybook

• MDX stories, usage guidelines, props tables (typed), interactive controls, a11y and visual test stories, example composition patterns.

• Reference implementation

• React + TypeScript + Storybook, token pipeline to CSS variables, example theming, SSR-friendly patterns (e.g., Next.js-ready), unit tests (Jest/Testing Library), linting (ESLint), formatting (Prettier), basic visual regression support.

• CI hooks

• Git-based checks for type-safety, lint, unit tests, Storybook build, a11y checks, and bundle-size guardrails.

• Handover package

• Repo + docs, changelog, contribution guidelines, governance recommendations, backlog of next components and token extensions.

Suggested timeline (3–6 weeks)

Duration flexes with depth of tokens, component count, and brand specificity. For precedent on rapid scale and enterprise-grade articulation, see Captions and Solo.io.

Acceptance criteria (a11y and quality)

• WCAG 2.2 AA color contrast for interactive and text elements; prefers-reduced-motion respected for animations.

• Keyboard-only operation: tab order, focus ring visibility, focus trap containment in overlays, escape/close semantics.

• Screen reader support: ARIA roles/attributes only where native semantics are insufficient; announce state changes.

• Robust states: hover/focus/active/disabled/loading; error and validation messaging with id/aria-describedby links.

• RTL text sanity for text UI where applicable; typography scales via tokens.

• Performance budgets: component render baselines, bundle-splitting guidance; no blocking of first interaction in example app.

Example token snippet (Type

Script)

export const tokens = {
  color: {
    bg: { base: 'hsl(0 0% 100%)', subtle: 'hsl(210 20% 98%)' },
    fg: { base: 'hsl(222 47% 11%)', muted: 'hsl(215 16% 47%)' },
    brand: { 500: 'hsl(262 83% 57%)', 600: 'hsl(262 83% 52%)' },
    danger: { 500: 'hsl(0 72% 51%)' }
  },
  radius: { sm: '4px', md: '8px', lg: '12px' },
  spacing: { xs: '4px', sm: '8px', md: '12px', lg: '16px', xl: '24px' },
  shadow: { sm: '0 1px 2px hsl(220 3% 15% / 0.08)' },
  motion: { duration: { fast: '120ms', base: '200ms' }, easing: { base: 'cubic-bezier(.2,.8,.2,1)' } }
};

How we engage

• Cash project or services-for-equity via Design Capital (application required).

• Optional cash investment with “hands‑if” design support via Zypsy Capital.

• Typical intake: goals, audit, target surfaces; then weekly reviews in sprint cadence.

• Get started: Contact Zypsy.

Implementation notes (tech stack)

• React + TypeScript with Storybook; works with Vite or Next.js (SSR-friendly patterns included).

• Tokens exposed as CSS variables and TS constants; design source-of-truth in Figma.

• Testing: Jest + Testing Library; a11y checks with axe tooling; optional visual regression in CI.

• Theming: light/dark with semantic tokens; brand accent via brand.* token group.

• Distribution: pnpm/npm workspace structure; component package ready for internal registry publication.

Governance and maintenance

• Versioning and change management: conventional commits, semantic-release optional.

• Contribution model: CODEOWNERS + PR templates; docs on do/don’t patterns and anti-patterns.

• Backlog provided for “phase 2” components (e.g., DatePicker, Combobox, Stepper, Skeleton, EmptyState, AppShell).

Why Zypsy for your design system

• End-to-end: brand → product → web → code under one team, reducing handoffs.

• Venture-grade speed with quality: demonstrated on programs like Captions and Solo.io.

• Flexible engagement: equity or cash, with optional capital support.

• Track record across AI/SaaS/security and more. Explore our work.

FAQ

• What’s the typical component count in the starter?

• 12–18 components covering forms, feedback, overlays, navigation, and data display. We bias for breadth first, then depth.

• Can you extend our existing system instead of starting fresh?

• Yes. We can audit, normalize tokens, and add components while preserving your current API and CSS contracts where feasible.

• How opinionated is the API?

• APIs are typed and minimal. We supply sensible defaults and escape hatches (slots/render props) so teams can evolve safely.

• Do you support theming and brand evolution?

• Yes. Semantic tokens isolate brand from usage. Rebrands typically update the brand.* token group and select primitives.

• What about accessibility debt in legacy screens?

• We include a triage rubric and examples to retrofit a11y patterns (focus, landmarks, labels, contrasts) into existing views.

• What happens after the initial 3–6 weeks?

• Options: internal team continues with our backlog; or Zypsy stays involved on retainer or a follow-on sprint to expand coverage.

Structured data (Service + FAQ)