---
id: tj-pitre-the-design-system-was-fine-until-the-agents
kind: work
title: "The Design System Was Fine Until the Agents Moved In"
work_kind: "essay"
date: "2026-08-17"
url: "https://southleft.substack.com/p/the-design-system-was-fine-until"
atlas_url: https://designsystems.fly.dev/nodes/tj-pitre-the-design-system-was-fine-until-the-agents.md
---

# The Design System Was Fine Until the Agents Moved In

An agent doesn't know your design system exists unless someone puts it directly in its context.

## Edges

- about -> Adoption and mandate, Agentic governance, Context engineering
- <- authored <- TJ Pitre