Design systems have become a default recommendation, but a token-and-component library built for a fifty-person org is often the wrong investment for a small team.
Start with primitives, not components
Colour, spacing and type scale tokens prevent more drift than a fully built component library, for far less effort.
Document decisions, not just styles
A short "why" next to each token saves more time later than exhaustive Storybook coverage.
Grow it from real screens
Extract components from shipped screens rather than designing a library speculatively.