Why are design systems considered scalable?

Design systems are considered scalable primarily because they are engineered to maintain performance levels as workload increases. A well-structured design system creates a consistent framework of reusable components, guidelines, and design patterns that can be applied across various projects and teams. This modular approach allows for the efficient scaling of design efforts, enabling teams to work simultaneously on different aspects of a product or multiple projects without sacrificing quality or coherence.

By leveraging a design system, organizations can streamline their design processes, ensuring that as the demand for design output increases — whether it's adding new features, creating new products, or updating existing interfaces — the team can maintain high standards of usability and visual consistency. This scalability is crucial for organizations looking to innovate and expand quickly while still adhering to established design principles and user experience standards.

The other choices refer to aspects that are beneficial but not directly tied to the concept of scalability in the context of design systems. For instance, while adaptability to market trends is important for staying relevant, it does not inherently address the scalability of design work. Similarly, requiring less documentation might be advantageous for efficiency, but it does not necessarily correlate with the ability to manage increased workload effectively.