# Dan Heflin

> Lead Product Designer working on design systems and AI-assisted product design. 11+ years on component libraries and Figma migrations for Eli Lilly and Chick-fil-A, with accessibility and theming built in. Based in Indiana, USA.

Over 11 years crafting design systems that boost efficiency and solve real problems. From 0 to 1, through libraries, migrations, and the workflows that keep teams moving.

## Profile
- Role: Design Systems @ Chick-fil-A | Lead Product Designer
- Current: Chick-fil-A Design System, Lead Product Designer (2025–present), via CGI
- Experience: 11+ years
- Location: Indiana, USA
- Tools: Figma, Cursor, GitHub, Obsidian, Framer, Slack
- Email: heflin52090@gmail.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-heflin/

## About
I'm a Lead Product Designer with over 11 years in UX and design systems. I lead design systems for Chick-fil-A through CGI. I look after the component libraries and the governance product teams work under.

Before that I spent seven years at New Era Technology, growing from UX Designer to Senior UX Designer while consulting for Eli Lilly. I led the Lilly Design System's move from Sketch to Figma, a 30% gain in collaboration and design efficiency. I then helped rebuild it as LDS 2.0, with Figma Variables, design tokens, theming, and accessibility built in.

I work with product, engineering, and design ops to ship design systems and to standardize the process around them. I use AI in more of that work now, so teams move faster without a drop in quality.

## Good reasons to get in touch
- Design system strategy, governance, and adoption
- Figma libraries, variables, and Sketch-to-Figma migrations
- Accessibility and theming built into components
- AI in design and systems workflows

## Pages
- [Home](https://danheflin.design/): intro, recent work, testimonials
- [Work](https://danheflin.design/#work): all case studies
- [About](https://danheflin.design/#about): background, stack, contact card
- [Contact](https://danheflin.design/#contact): email and LinkedIn

## Case studies

### Lilly Design System Redesign
URL: https://danheflin.design/#work-01
Role: Design System Lead · 2024–2025 · Client: Eli Lilly, via New Era Technology (Pharmaceuticals) · Platforms: Mobile, Desktop

The Lilly Design System 2.0 Redesign revitalizes our component library with a vibrant, modern aesthetic, aiming to deliver an exciting look and enhanced, robust features for seamless user experiences.

**Situation**
Lilly aimed to transform their design system to deliver more engaging and dynamic user experiences. They envisioned a comprehensive design system that could address nearly every use case, including a tailored product version to streamline internal websites and dashboards. Additionally, Lilly prioritized building accessibility, robust theming options, and structured choices to empower designers with greater flexibility and consistency.

**Task**
- Revamping the visual design to create a vibrant, exciting aesthetic that enhances user engagement.
- Expanding the component library to cover nearly every use case, ensuring versatility across applications.
- Developing a specialized product version tailored for internal websites and dashboards.
- Integrating accessibility features to meet inclusive design standards.
- Implementing robust theming capabilities to allow flexible customization.
- Establishing structured design choices to provide designers with clear, consistent options.

**Action**
- Conducted research and stakeholder interviews to identify design preferences and use case requirements.
- Collaborated with designers to create a modern, vibrant visual style guide emphasizing bold aesthetics.
- Developed and tested an expanded component library to ensure compatibility across diverse applications.
- Building a dedicated product version for internal websites and dashboards, prioritizing usability and efficiency.
- Integrated accessibility standards, including WCAG compliance, through audits and testing with assistive technologies.
- Designed a flexible theming system to support customization while maintaining brand consistency. This includes controlling component padding and radius site wide with Figma Variables Modes.

**Results**
Though the Lilly Design System 2.0 Redesign remains in development, early outcomes include:
- A 25% increase in design efficiency from revitalizing and expanding the system, with better usability and consistency across products.
- A refreshed visual style prototype that has received positive feedback from internal stakeholders for its vibrant and modern aesthetic.
- An expanded component library, with initial testing showing improved versatility.
- A functional product version for internal websites and dashboards, currently in beta with select teams reporting enhanced usability.
- Accessibility features integrated into core components, achieving improved WCAG compliance in early audits.
- A theming system prototype enabling seamless customization, demonstrated in pilot projects with consistent brand alignment.
- A documented framework of structured design choices, adopted by designers in ongoing workflows, reducing decision fatigue.
- Increased team confidence in the system’s direction, with ongoing iterations refining features based on user testing.

### Lilly Design System Migration
URL: https://danheflin.design/#work-02
Role: Design System Lead · 2023 · Client: Eli Lilly, via New Era Technology (Pharmaceuticals) · Platforms: Mobile, Desktop

This case study explores the migration of Eli Lilly’s digital products to the Lilly Design System (LDS) using Figma, aiming to boost design consistency, streamline workflows, and enhance team collaboration.

**Situation**
Eli Lilly struggled with a fragmented, outdated design framework, causing inconsistent user experiences, workflow inefficiencies, and scalability challenges. A unified, modern design system was essential to improve their digital presence.

**Task**
- Establish a single design source.
- Ensure consistent user experiences.
- Enhance collaboration across teams.
- Speed up workflows.
- Build a scalable system.

**Action**
- LDS Development: Built a Figma-based system with reusable components, styles, and guides for accessibility.
- Team Collaboration: Partnered with design, development, and product teams via workshops and training for feedback and adoption.
- Phased Approach: Rolled out the system incrementally, refining it through pilot projects and user input.

**Results**
- Measured impact: a 30% improvement in collaboration and design efficiency after the move to Figma.
- Consistency: Unified design improved user experience and brand alignment.
- Efficiency: Reusable components cut design and development time.
- Collaboration: Shared system aligned teams and reduced silos.
- Scalability: Modular design supported future growth.

**Conclusion**
The LDS migration tackled inconsistency and inefficiency, paving the way for innovation at Eli Lilly. It demonstrates how a thoughtful design system, leveraging Figma, can drive collaboration and user-focused outcomes in healthcare.

### Drug Brand Wireframes
URL: https://danheflin.design/#work-03
Role: UX Designer · 2020–2022 · Client: Eli Lilly, via New Era Technology (Pharmaceuticals) · Platforms: Mobile, Desktop

This case study outlines the development of wireframes for a pharmaceutical brand’s website. The focus was on creating a user-friendly, compliant, and visually cohesive design that effectively conveyed the brand’s message and product details.

**Situation**
The project required balancing strict regulatory guidelines with an engaging user experience. Key challenges included ensuring accessibility for a diverse audience and aligning the design with the brand’s identity.

**Task**
- Create intuitive, regulation-compliant wireframes.
- Provide easy navigation and access to essential information.
- Reflect the brand’s visual and functional standards.

**Action**
- Researching user needs and pain points.
- Collaborating with stakeholders to meet design and compliance requirements.
- Iterating wireframes in Sketch based on feedback and prototyping.

**Results**
- Satisfied client and regulatory expectations.
- Boosted user engagement, increasing time on site by 15%.
- Earned praise from stakeholders for clarity and usability.

## Testimonials

> It is my pleasure to recommend Dan, an exceptionally skilled UX designer. I had the opportunity to work with him on a project where he built out the variants/variables for components of a highly robust design system in Figma. His work was not only comprehensive and scalable but also integrated best practices, including accessibility and UX standards. His design system build-out received high praise from Figma employees during a recent collaboration, who called it ‘robust’ and ‘outstanding’. Dan’s expertise in creating intuitive, efficient design systems was key to streamlining implementation workflows for our designers. His meticulous attention to detail and ability to think holistically made him a crucial part of the project’s success.
>
> — Grant Thomas, Senior UX Design Lead

> In addition to exploring new creative territories through his ongoing personal projects, such as developing interactive D&D character sheets and dabbling in dimensional pixel art, Dan has an investigative mind, continually seeking new methods and technologies to keep his projects both accessible and on the cutting edge. He focuses on atomic design methodologies as he works towards simplifying solutions on complex, multi-layered design problems. He presents workable options and iterates well upon the feedback he receives. Dan became our team’s go-to Figma expert while testing its capabilities and helping to develop a transition plan for migrating to it from an extensive Sketch design library. He established new libraries of all necessary variables and component variants in Figma—even extending on what was existing, all while educating the team about those concepts throughout the migration.
>
> — Jonathon Barth, Senior UX Designer

> I have known Dan the entirety of his time at New Era, and had the honor to be his manager for a few of those years. During our time working as UX consultants for a client, he rebuilt their design system from the ground up within Figma. He was instrumental in the client’s transition from Sketch to Figma and provided trainings to get the design team up to speed on the migration. He has a great mindset and doesn’t skimp on the details. The design team at this particular client is able to design faster, thanks to the design system library he has built.
>
> — Kayley Dobbs, Practice Team Lead of Digital