AI-powered Integration Platform
As part of my remit, I conceived, funded, and led the creation of Shidoka, a new enterprise design system built to replace IBM’s Carbon Design System. I assembled and led a cross functional team of designers, front end engineers, and content strategists, and set a clear mandate: build a system that could scale across a global platform portfolio without slowing teams down.
The Problem
Teams across Bridge, CIO, Delivery, and Marketing were using multiple design systems and custom UI. The result was inconsistent experiences that made the platform feel fragmented. Even core elements like grid systems varied, increasing user friction and team rework.
The Business Need
Kyndryl needed a single, reusable component library with clear documentation that designers and engineers could ship with quickly, while enforcing consistency, accessibility, and performance across teams.
Impact For Kyndryl
A unified look and feel became foundational to Kyndryl.com and Kyndryl Bridge. Shidoka enabled faster delivery, stronger brand coherence, and more cohesive platform experiences.
Behind the name
渋い
An aesthetic sense of simple, subtle, and unobtrusive beauty
Shibui
Jidoka
Automation of tasks but with intelligence or a human touch.
自働化
Shibui
+
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Subtle Beauty
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Simple
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Minimalistic
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Balance and Harmonious
Jidoka
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Intelligent Automation
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Immediate address
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Identification and correction of mistakes that occur in a process
shidōka
渋い
(shē-dōh-kah)
This word merges elements of both “Shibui” and “Jidoka” to represent a concept that embodies the essence of simplicity, elegance, and refined automation.
“Shidoka” could describe an automated system or process that not only demonstrates efficiency and quality control but also exudes an aesthetic appeal, emphasizing the seamless integration of human touch and intelligent automation.
Shidōka strategy
Fast-track the evolution of a universal Design System leveraging and aligning existing Kyndryl teams with a common set of UI components and templates to support development work across Kyndryl
Align Kyndryl
Align Kyndryl teams to ensure a consistent visual and functional design.
Collaborate
Minimize development effort and ensure product and team cohesion.
Move Fast
Accelerate development work, eliminate redundant tasks, and shorten time to market.
Get s@#t done!
Design, build and document components so teams can start using them ASAP!
Shidōka Tenets
While strategy is important, tenets are what ground the team in how we build our system. I created these based on the 2 previous Design Systems I created. These tenets drive quality, speed and community within Kyndryl design and engineering community and is core to the success of the Shidoka Design System.
Zero Barriers to Entry
Make available where Engineering and Design teams are and made in a way that is easy for them to use and understand.
Documentation and Education
Provide comprehensive documentation and educational resources to support the adoption and understanding of the design system across our organization.
Data-Driven Iteration
Continuously gather user feedback and leverage data to improve and iterate upon the design system, ensuring its relevance and effectiveness.
Speed with Quality
Integrate automated testing tools that can identify design inconsistencies, accessibility issues, and responsive problems.
OneKyndryl
Help teams build UIs faster with a consistency brand and visual language that clearly feels like one Kyndryl.
Shidōka Architecture Layout
I created the architecutre based on the needs this system would serve. This layout allowed other, non-technical teams like Marketing, CIO, and Transformation to use components that were less technical in nature or needed more padding and space. The three level architecture
Foundation Library
Encompassing all essential visual elements core to Kyndryl Brand.
Application Library
Designed specifically for designers crafting apps. The Application team will be utilizing this file to construct new components anchored on the Foundation…
Data Viz Library
Housing all the data visualization library of framework-agnostic web components built with Chart.js.
Adoption of Shidoka
To drive early adoption, I established a communication framework that made the Shidoka team easily accessible to all stakeholders. This included creating request forms, centralized documentation, and hosting open office hours via Microsoft Teams.
I defined and rolled out an adoption model for Shidoka, partnering with my Project Manager to guide 25 global teams to implementation within 3 months.
To maximize impact, I created a phased adoption timeline focused on high-value components that drove consistency without requiring full refactors. I developed a prioritization guide and visual roadmap that clarified focus areas for teams, secured leadership buy-in, and aligned cross-department adoption.
I created a timeline on how adoption should proceed.
This illustration shows teams the areas in the platform that needed to be done. This also helped get buy-in from top leadership as well as cross-department leadership
Before and after
Original Kyndryl Bridge Console Dashboard
Kyndryl Bridge Console Dashboard using Shidoka
AIOPs “F1” Dashboard using IBM Carbon + Handrolled
AIOPs “F1” Dashboard using Shidoka
Devops Intelligence using IBM Carbon
Devops Intelligence using using Shidoka
Business Intelligence using IBM Carbon
Business Intelligence using using Shidoka
The Proof
By 2024 I had proven Shidoka could provide high quality components and deliver them on a consistent basis. The overall results in terms of usage and consumption within the Designa nd Engineering community was amazing. On average we release 50 new components every year and 2-3 patterns, and 1-2 templates every quarter.
Above is the actual slide presented to senior leadership 1yr after getting an initial $1M investment in people to start Shidoka. These metrics indicate adoption both from Engineering and Design.
Kyndryl Shidoka Design System
Shidoka transformed design from a fragmented, team by team effort into a shared platform capability. It gave Kyndryl a system that scales with the business, accelerates delivery, and reinforces a single, coherent experience across products. More importantly, it established design as infrastructure. Built once, used everywhere, and continuously improved as the platform evolves.
