UNDP Design System

Free

Design Tokens

Open-source web design system: Building Digital Services for the UN

The open-source web design system by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) gives product teams a robust, pre-built foundation. UNDP created this resource to ensure consistency, accessibility, and efficiency across its vast network. This comprehensive system empowers internal teams and external partners to launch compliant, user-friendly applications quickly. Consequently, teams save significant time and resources on foundational UI work.

Component Library and Code Support

The UNDP system offers a complete component library. Developers built it primarily on React and TypeScript. Therefore, developers find the codebase clean, modular, and highly adaptable. The system promotes maintainability across diverse projects. Furthermore, it organizes its components logically, ranging from fundamental buttons to complex data visualizations. Since this is an open-source web design system, the community actively contributes to its growth and refinement. This keeps the system current with modern web development practices. You can explore how other international organizations approach their component architecture by reviewing the WFP UI Kit Components.

Accessibility and Global Standards

Compliance stands as a core pillar of the UNDP system. Indeed, teams build and test all components rigorously to meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards. This is vital for reaching a global user base with diverse needs. In addition, by prioritizing accessibility from the start, the system ensures that vital information and services are truly universal. Many organizations integrate these foundational principles into their own specialized design systems to uphold similar ethical and legal compliance standards.

Theming and Design Tokens

The UNDP Design System uses Design Tokens extensively to manage visual styles. These tokens—for color, spacing, and typography—provide a centralized control mechanism. This allows developers and designers to adjust branding and visual themes without modifying individual component files. Ultimately, this flexibility makes it possible to maintain core system integrity while applying distinct branding when necessary for different UN agencies or programs.