Implementing a Technical Design System & Translating a New Brand Identity at France.tv

The Challenge: Industrializing a New Brand Identity & Building a Design System from Scratch

The France.tv platform needed to implement a new brand image, aligning with the brand team’s vision while ensuring it was adaptable for digital platforms across web, mobile, and TV. While there were no major UI issues, the redesign required:

• Industrializing the brand team’s vision → The brand team had developed shapes to represent content types, which had to be translated into a functional UI system across different screen formats.
• Implementing a new color vision → We needed to ensure that colors were consistent, accessible, and adaptable for different devices.
• Building the first-ever France.tv Design System → There was no existing Design System, so we had to establish components, documentation, and a scalable UI framework from scratch.
• Streamlining handoff & documentation → The handoff process between design and development was complex and time-consuming, requiring better alignment and documentation.

This project wasn’t just about UI—it was about creating an industrialized, scalable system that could speed up development cycles while maintaining design integrity.

The Solution: A Collaborative Approach to UI Implementation

To ensure smooth implementation, we worked in close collaboration with the brand team, Design System (DS) team, and tech teams through:

1. Translating Brand Identity into a Functional UI

• We adapted the brand’s visual language (shapes, colors, and typography) into a cohesive digital UI system that worked across web, mobile, and TV.
• Ensured that brand elements remained consistent while being flexible enough to work in interactive environments.

2. Establishing the First-Ever France.tv Design System

• Developed a comprehensive roadmap for design and tech teams to structure the creation, testing, and deployment of UI components.
• Introduced weekly validations and reviews with the DS team, developers, and designers from different platforms to ensure consistency.
• Created the first-ever UI documentation for France.tv, ensuring that every component had clear design rules, technical specifications, and accessibility standards.
• Implemented a feedback loop where specialized designers from web, mobile, and TV could contribute insights before finalizing components.

3. Streamlining UI Handoff & Testing

• Redefined the handoff process to make it more structured and efficient between design and development.
• Introduced testing processes with each tech team, covering:
  • Two in-house dev teams (web & apps).
  • One external dev team (TV platform).
• Created validation steps for each UI component, ensuring smooth design-to-development workflows.

The Impact: A Scalable Design System & Improved Collaboration

• Faster development cycles → The new Design System allowed dev teams to reuse standardized components, reducing redundant work.
• Better cross-team collaboration → By involving tech teams earlier in the process, we eliminated roadblocks before development began.
• Consistent UI across all platforms → The structured brand implementation ensured that web, mobile, and TV shared a unified visual identity.
• Documentation became a new standard → For the first time at France.tv, we had structured UI documentation that could be referenced by both designers and developers.

Lessons Learned & Long-Term Impact

• Early collaboration is key → By bringing in tech teams earlier in the design phase, we reduced friction and misunderstandings in implementation.
• Scalability matters → The Design System now serves as a foundation, allowing for faster iteration and expansion in future UI updates.
• Testing & validation improve efficiency → The weekly review system helped catch inconsistencies early, making development smoother.

This initiative fundamentally changed the way UI was designed, documented, and implemented at France.tv, creating a scalable system that continues to evolve with the platform.

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