Enterprise Component Library & UI Performance

TL;DR: At Hewlett Packard Enterprise I designed and maintained a reusable React component library adopted across 5+ internal applications, cutting frontend development time by 30%. Separately, lazy loading and code splitting cut core application load times by 40%, and every component shipped WCAG/ARIA compliant.

What problem were the teams facing?

Several internal applications were building the same UI pieces on their own: buttons, forms, tables, dialogs, navigation. The result was predictable:

• Inconsistent design from one app to the next, even for the same users.
• Duplicated effort, since each team rebuilt and re-tested the same components.
• Uneven accessibility, fixed in one app and missing in another.

What did I build?

A shared library of React and TypeScript components that teams install instead of rebuilding:

• Typed, composable APIs so the common case is one line and edge cases are still possible.
• Accessibility built in, not added per app: semantic HTML, keyboard support, focus management and correct ARIA roles.
• Tests with Jest and React Testing Library, written against what users see and do rather than implementation details.
• Versioned releases so each application could upgrade on its own schedule.

How did lazy loading and code splitting cut load time by 40%?

The core applications were shipping code for every screen on first load. I changed that so each screen loads only what it needs:

• Route-level code splitting with dynamic import() and React.lazy, so each page pulls its own bundle.
• Lazy loading heavy components, such as charts and complex editors, only when they scroll into view or are opened.
• Leaner state management on startup, loading the state and logic for a feature when that feature is first used instead of at boot.

The result was a 40% reduction in core application load times.

How was accessibility handled?

Accessibility was a property of the library, so every consuming app inherited it:

• Semantic HTML first, with ARIA only where native elements fall short.
• Full keyboard support and visible focus states on every interactive component.
• Focus management for dialogs and menus, so keyboard and screen reader users never get lost.
• WCAG colour contrast baked into the design tokens.

What were the results?

What does this mean for a startup?

A startup with two or three product surfaces hits the same problem early. A small, well-typed component library with accessibility built in keeps the product consistent as the team grows, and saves rebuilding the same UI on every new screen.