Hi, I’m Maya Benari.

I build and scale design systems that help teams move faster, reduce complexity, and design with clarity across platforms.

Over the past decade, I’ve led systems work across government, healthcare, and enterprise—developing tools and infrastructure to support large, complex ecosystems. I helped launch the U.S. Web Design System, a foundational framework now powering hundreds of federal websites. Since then, I’ve applied that same systems thinking to enterprise-scale platforms.

Today, I focus on foundational UI architecture, components, design tokens, documentation, and the cross-functional processes that enable systems to scale sustainably. I also mentor designers and collaborate with partners across product and engineering to align vision, reduce ambiguity, and strengthen systems practice across organizations.

Speaking

• Clarity Conference · Talk
• ShopTalk Show (Ep. 209) · Podcast
• Style Guides Podcast · Podcast
• The Big Web Show (Ep. 136) · Interview
• NASA · Civic tech event
• net magazine · Interview

Selected Writing

• Building a Large-Scale Design System for the U.S. Government · Smashing Magazine
  

  How we scaled the U.S. Web Design System into an extensible platform adopted by hundreds of agencies—without compromising usability, accessibility, or implementation speed.

• Introducing USWDS 2.0: Reinvent the experience, not the wheel · USWDS / Digital.gov
  

  The launch post for a complete rethink of a national design system—focused on modularity, flexibility, and sustainability at scale.

• Introducing the U.S. Web Design Standards · 18F
  

  The foundational post that launched the U.S. Web Design Standards—marking a major shift in how digital government services are built and delivered.

• Introducing Accessibility for Teams · 18F
  

  A practical framework for weaving accessibility into team workflows—designed to empower designers, developers, and product managers alike.

• Developing the Draft U.S. Web Design Standards’ UI Components · 18F
  

  Behind the scenes on designing modular, accessible UI components to support a flexible and sustainable government-wide system.

→ View full writing archive

Featured in

• net magazine · Interview on transforming government websites
• Tragic Design (O’Reilly Media) · Interview on ethical design in government