Design System Components List

A design system components list is a collection of reusable UI building blocks used to create consistent, accessible, scalable, and user-friendly websites and applications. This guide includes common components, usage notes, accessibility tips, and reference links from popular design systems.

What Are Design System Components?

Design system components are reusable interface patterns such as buttons, inputs, cards, modals, navigation menus, alerts, tables, tabs, accordions, and form controls. Each component usually includes design rules, code examples, accessibility guidance, states, variants, and usage documentation.

All Design System Components List

Category	Component	Purpose	Reference
Actions	Button	Triggers primary, secondary, destructive, or neutral actions.	USWDS Button
Actions	Button Group	Groups related actions together.	Carbon Button
Forms	Text Input	Collects short text values from users.	Material Text Fields
Forms	Textarea	Collects longer multi-line text.	USWDS Text Input
Forms	Select	Lets users choose one option from a list.	USWDS Select
Forms	Checkbox	Allows users to select one or more options.	Material Checkbox
Forms	Radio Button	Allows users to select one option from a group.	Material Radio Button
Forms	Switch	Toggles a setting on or off.	Material Switch
Forms	Date Picker	Helps users select dates.	USWDS Date Picker
Feedback	Alert	Displays important success, warning, error, or info messages.	USWDS Alert
Feedback	Toast	Shows temporary feedback messages.	Carbon Notification
Feedback	Progress Indicator	Shows task progress or loading state.	Material Progress
Navigation	Breadcrumb	Shows page location inside a hierarchy.	USWDS Breadcrumb
Navigation	Header	Provides site identity and main navigation.	USWDS Header
Navigation	Side Navigation	Supports section-level navigation.	USWDS Side Navigation
Navigation	Tabs	Switches between related content panels.	ARIA Tabs Pattern
Navigation	Pagination	Splits large result sets into pages.	USWDS Pagination
Containers	Card	Groups related content and actions.	Material Cards
Containers	Accordion	Shows and hides sections of content.	USWDS Accordion
Containers	Modal Dialog	Displays focused content or actions above the page.	ARIA Modal Dialog Pattern
Data Display	Table	Displays structured data in rows and columns.	USWDS Table
Data Display	Badge	Highlights status, count, label, or category.	Material Badges
Data Display	Tooltip	Provides short helper text on hover or focus.	ARIA Tooltip Pattern
Media	Avatar	Represents a user or entity visually.	Material Components
Search	Search Box	Helps users find content or data.	USWDS Search

Common Design System Component Categories

Actions: buttons, links, menus, button groups.
Forms: inputs, labels, selects, checkboxes, radios, switches, validation messages.
Navigation: header, footer, sidebar, breadcrumbs, tabs, pagination.
Feedback: alerts, toasts, progress indicators, loading spinners, skeleton loaders.
Containers: cards, accordions, dialogs, panels, drawers.
Data Display: tables, badges, tags, tooltips, lists, description lists.
Layout: grid, stack, container, spacing, columns, page templates.

Component Documentation Template

Every design system component should include clear documentation so designers, developers, and product teams use it consistently.

Documentation Section	What to Include
Overview	What the component does and when to use it.
Variants	Primary, secondary, success, warning, danger, compact, full-width, etc.
States	Default, hover, focus, active, disabled, loading, error, success.
Accessibility	Keyboard support, ARIA guidance, labels, roles, focus management.
Usage Guidelines	Do and don’t rules with examples.
Code Examples	HTML, CSS, React, Web Components, or framework examples.
Design Tokens	Color, spacing, typography, radius, shadow, motion tokens.

Popular Design System References

Design System Components and Accessibility

Use semantic HTML before adding ARIA.
Provide visible focus states for every interactive component.
Support keyboard navigation for menus, dialogs, tabs, and accordions.
Use accessible labels for inputs, buttons, icons, and controls.
Test color contrast for text, icons, borders, and states.
Document disabled, error, loading, and success states clearly.
Test components with screen readers, keyboard, zoom, and mobile devices.

Design System Components and SEO

Design system components do not directly create rankings, but they improve page quality, accessibility, consistency, readability, performance, and user experience.

Semantic components help search engines and assistive technologies understand content.
Consistent typography and spacing improve readability.
Accessible navigation improves content discovery.
Reusable components reduce UI bugs across pages.
Performance-friendly components improve page experience.

Design System Component Best Practices

Start with high-value components like button, input, alert, card, modal, table, and navigation.
Document component usage, variants, states, and accessibility rules.
Use design tokens for colors, spacing, typography, shadows, radius, and motion.
Keep components consistent across design and code.
Build responsive and accessible behavior by default.
Use reference design systems for guidance, but adapt patterns to your product needs.
Review components regularly for usability, accessibility, and performance.

Key Takeaways

A design system component is a reusable UI building block.
Common components include buttons, inputs, cards, modals, alerts, tables, tabs, and navigation.
Good component documentation includes usage, variants, states, accessibility, and code examples.
Reference systems like USWDS, Material, Carbon, Polaris, Spectrum, and Primer provide strong examples.
Accessible and consistent components improve usability, maintainability, and page quality.