Spectrum 2: Adobe's revamped design system

Adobe is updating its design system, Spectrum, which has been a cornerstone of the company's visual language since the 2010s. The update comes with six main reasons: technological evolution, design trends, product portfolio expansion, complex ecosystem, user expectations, and consistency and cohesiveness.

Technological evolution

The rapid advancements in technology over the past decade have necessitated an update to Spectrum. The design system needs to adapt to new technologies and provide a seamless user experience across different platforms.

Product portfolio expansion

With over 100 unique applications across diverse platforms and languages, an updated design system becomes crucial. Spectrum 2 aims to provide a unified design language across this extensive product range.

User expectations

Evolving user expectations for polished and seamless digital experiences have influenced the decision to update Spectrum. Adobe wants to meet the demands of modern users and deliver a consistent user experience.

Consistency and cohesiveness

To maintain a unified and cohesive user experience across its extensive suite of products, Spectrum needed an update. Spectrum 2 aims to provide a consistent design language, ensuring a harmonious user journey throughout Adobe's ecosystem.

Enhanced color support

Spectrum 2 optimizes color palettes to better support various color vision deficiencies. It also addresses challenges like color name conflicts.

Attention hierarchy optimization

Spectrum 2 improves the attention hierarchy by removing extraneous highlight colors in common controls and creating intentional separation between navigation and content zones.

Product equity practice

Adobe Design's Product Equity practice ensures unbiased and limitless access to Adobe's products for every user, irrespective of differences. Spectrum 2's color palette is diverse, catering to inclusivity and accessibility.

Illustrations and shapes

Spectrum 2 introduces a versatile toolkit of geometric shapes for illustrations and aligns the color system with brand colors. This ensures visual cohesion across Adobe products.

Overall, Spectrum 2 promises an evolution in design and a celebration of collaborative innovation. It also allows designers and developers more customization options to tailor the design system to their specific projects and teams.