The System Serves the Organization

"...the computers were but a part of a research–development organization, vital to be sure, but it was their value to the system which mattered in the long run, how well the computers helped reach the organization’s goals, as well as society’s goals, and not how comfortable it was for the staff operating the computers. "

At the end of the day, components (computers in this case) serve the organization’s goal, which are not always the same goals as the staff using them. If you focus only on the user experience and ergonomics of your components, you risk losing sight of why you’re doing the work in the first place.

Thinking about this the next time I’m naming design tokens.

Also, remember that Material Design serves Google’s goals, which may or may not be your own organization’s goals.