The SAM.gov Design System uses and extends the [United States Web Design System](https://designsystem.digital.gov) to meet the needs of web-based enterprise systems. More specifically, it has been driven by the needs of federal award systems, including acquisition and federal assistance systems.

Customer experience challenges that distinguish these systems include:
- A multi-faceted eco-system of interrelated information, capabilities, and people
- Management and presentation of large amounts of detailed data
- Substantial, and sometimes collaborative, data entry workflows
- A robust body of related knowledge that includes policy, terminology, and data definitions

### Based on USWDS 2
This version of the SAM.gov Design System is based on USWDS 2, released on April 2019. We are continually adding new elements or migrating elements from the initial version of our design system.

### From GSA's Integrated Award Environment (IAE)
The SAM.gov Design System is a product of GSA's [Integrated Award Environment](https://gsa.gov/iae). It supports IAE's ongoing integration of ten federal award systems into a single web-based system, [beta.SAM.gov](https://beta.SAM.gov), with a common information architecture and unified customer experience.

**Note:** [beta.SAM.gov](https://beta.SAM.gov) currently uses a previous version of the SAM.gov Design System, based on an earlier version of USWDS. When the current SAM.gov transitions to the modernized site, this version of the SAM.gov Web Design System will be applied.