I was asked to architect and build a React component library from the ground up.
The problem was clear. We kept rebuilding the same components across different applications. The same buttons, inputs, modals, and layouts, recreated from scratch every time. Someone needed to own a component library and that someone ended up being me.
I nodded like I had a plan. I didn't.
I'd never built a component library before. I didn't know how to structure one, how to distribute one, or honestly how to scope one. But I figured the best way to learn was to start.
So I started small. Buttons. Inputs. The boring stuff that touches everything.
I focused on getting the foundations right, and I made the decision very early on that accessibility would be baked in from day one. Every component designed to be usable by keyboard users, screen readers, and other assistive technologies from the start. Not as a future improvement. Not as a "nice to have." Just part of the standard.
Then, the library kept growing.
Today, it's documented and hosted in Storybook, published as an npm package, and fully automated with CI/CD pipelines that handle Storybook deployments and npm publishing on every release.
What started as a vague ask turned into real infrastructure the team relies on daily.
A few things I'd tell anyone starting from zero:
- You don't need to know everything upfront. Start with the smallest components and let the architecture reveal itself.
- Treat accessibility like functionality. If it doesn't work with a keyboard, it's not done.
- Automate early. Setting up CI/CD for publishing and deployment saved me more time than I expected.
- Document everything. Storybook isn't just a demo tool. It's how the team actually adopts the library.
The gap between "I have no idea what to do" and "this is running in production" is smaller than you think. It's just a lot of small steps.
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