A design system with a double shot of consistency
Client
Dalla Corte
Sector
Coffee
Year
2023

Why a Design System?

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Because eventually, things stop matching. At some point, even the most beautifully crafted espresso machines start to feel… a bit off. Not the coffee, mind you: the interfaces. One model’s got square buttons, another’s got rounded ones, icons are cousins at best, and if you squint, the fonts might be related. That’s the moment you realise you don’t just need more design, you need a Design System. That’s where we stepped in with Dalla Corte.

Not built in a day
(but brewed with experience)

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Over time, as we designed more and more interfaces for Dalla Corte’s growing range of machines, it became clear that what started as individually tailored solutions had turned into a slightly mismatched collection, ripe for a proper system. We gathered up every interface we’d worked on – whether on the physical displays or in the mobile apps – and got to work. The result was a Design System structured in Figma, complete with foundations (typography, colour palettes, grids), components (buttons, icons, alerts), and reusable patterns built to scale from 3-inch screens to full mobile layouts. Think of it as giving every pixel a uniform, and making sure it knows how to behave.

It’s not just visual, it’s behavioural

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Consistency goes beyond appearances. It shapes how the interface responds, feels, and guides the user. So we defined interaction patterns that apply across devices.
Whether a machine uses a touchscreen, a rotary encoder, or a combination of both, the logic stays the same. A barista moving from one model to another shouldn’t have to relearn the basics. Familiarity, after all, is part of good design.

One brand, many touchpoints

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From grinders to apps to software services, the Design System brings cohesion across all Dalla Corte digital (and physical) interfaces. It makes development faster, branding stronger, and the user experience feel considered, whether you’re programming a shot, adjusting a grind, or casually scrolling through settings on your phone.

Less confusion, more crema

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A Design System is a bit like good coffee: invisible when it works, sorely missed when it doesn’t. For Dalla Corte, it means fewer inconsistencies, more clarity, and a brand experience that holds together, machine after machine, screen after screen.
And no, it doesn’t come with latte art. But we think that’s a fair trade.