Summary:  Lean design-system teams, when strategically planned, can move faster, prioritize sharply, and scale impact beyond their size. Small is the norm for design-system teams. Despite the reach and stakes of the work they do, design-system teams stay lean. While being small is often seen as a constraint, it is also what enables design-system teams to operate so effectively — when this setup is a deliberate operating choice rather than a resourcing default. Design Systems Stay Small Fewer People, Fewer Bottlenecks Blurred Roles Enable Better Collaboration Forced Prioritization Creates Strategic Focus Scaling Through Contribution and Championship The Reality of Being Small Small by Design vs. Small by Default Conclusion Design Systems Stay Small Design-system teams don't scale proportionally with company size. According to Zeroheight’s annual design system reports over the past 5 years, most design-system teams consist of just 2–5 people, often balancing system work with product responsibilities.…