Get Started with the NYS Design System
The NYS Design System gives your team the tools to build accessible, consistent digital experiences faster. There are three ways to use it, whether you are starting from scratch or working within an existing application.
Three Ways to Use the Design System
Code: Use the Web Components
Build new products and modernize existing ones faster with prebuilt, accessible UI components. Our web components handle responsiveness, keyboard navigation, screen reader support, and theme switching automatically—so your team can focus on application logic, not accessibility infrastructure.
Each component is production-ready, thoroughly tested, and built for government use cases: DMV forms, benefits applications, permit systems, and agency dashboards.
Styles: Use Design Tokens and CSS Framework
Don't want to adopt components yet? Use our design tokens and CSS framework to maintain visual consistency across your site. Apply tokens for color, typography, spacing, and borders to custom HTML—no component wrapper needed.
Guidance: Build Accessibly
Learn how to design and build clear, usable digital experiences for all New Yorkers. We cover WCAG compliance, plain language, keyboard navigation, screen reader testing, and accessibility patterns for forms, tables, and complex workflows.
You can adopt all three approaches or start with what fits your situation. Many teams begin with styles and tokens in an existing application, then add web components incrementally as their team builds confidence and finds the right moments to refactor.
Choose Your Path
- Designers: Set up design libraries, use component variants, prototype with system components.
- Developers: Install via npm, integrate with your framework, start using components and tokens.
- Agency Leaders: Understand the value proposition, adoption strategy, and support available.
Learn the System
The NYS Design System team created a video tour to walk you through how the system works and how to use it in your team's workflow.
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Last updated: May 28, 2026