As organizations grow, managing frontend architecture becomes increasingly complex. With teams of 15 or more engineers and multiple frontend projects, maintaining consistency and efficiency is critical. This guide explores best practices for scaling frontend architecture in large organizations, covering design systems, code structure, tech stacks, tooling, modularity, testing, and production workflows.

1. Visual Code

Establishing a Design System

A unified design system ensures brand recognition and consistent UI/UX across all frontend applications. The design team should create a comprehensive design system that aligns with the company’s branding guidelines. From a technical perspective, this system can be implemented as an npm package and visualized using tools like Storybook. Interactive documentation hosted on a dedicated web resource serves as a reference point for both engineers and designers.

Key Benefits:

• Consistent visual identity across applications
• Improved collaboration between designers and developers

2. Code Structure

Standardizing Code Organization

To enable cross-team collaboration and simplify onboarding, all projects should follow a standardized code structure. This includes:

• Folder Structure: Consistent organization of files across projects.
• Supportive Files: Uniform placement of configuration files like package.json, .gitignore, and test configurations.
• Component Structure: Fixed internal structure for components (e.g., /Component.tsx, /style.css).
• Naming Conventions: Standardized naming for folders, files, variables, functions, and classes.

A unified code structure ensures that engineers can seamlessly navigate any project within the organization.

3. Unified Tech Stack

Defining a Standard Tech Stack

A consistent tech stack simplifies development across multiple projects. Components of a typical frontend tech stack include:

• Frameworks (e.g., React)
• State management tools (e.g., Redux or Apollo)
• Styling solutions (e.g., Styled Components)
• Testing libraries (e.g., Jest, Cypress)
• Build systems (e.g., Webpack)

While exceptions may arise for specific projects, deviations from the standard stack should be carefully evaluated to avoid increased maintenance costs.

Key Steps:

1. Document the tech stack and share it across teams.
2. Provide clear guidelines for bootstrapping new projects using the defined stack.

4. Tooling

Automating Processes with Tools

The right tools can automate adherence to coding standards and improve productivity. Key areas where tooling can make a difference include:

• Code Style Enforcement: Use linters like ESLint to enforce coding conventions automatically.
• Project Bootstrapping: CLI tools can set up new projects with predefined structures and dependencies.
• Component Generation: Automate file creation for components to save time.
• CI/CD Pipelines: Unified CI configurations streamline deployment processes.

Tools like NX or Rome offer comprehensive solutions for managing large-scale frontend architectures.

5. Modularity

Organizing Codebases

Large organizations often face challenges with massive codebases. Modularity helps manage complexity by splitting applications into smaller, independent units. Common approaches include:

1. Monolith: A single repository containing all code.
2. Monorepo: Multiple projects within one repository.
3. Repo-per-project: Separate repositories for each project.

The choice of approach depends on organizational needs and team structures.

Connecting Modular Applications

Applications can be connected using:

• Build-time composition (e.g., npm packages)
• Server-side rendering (e.g., Hypernova)
• Client-side composition (e.g., Webpack Module Federation)

Modularity enhances scalability and fosters team independence.

6. Testing Strategies

Unifying Testing Approaches

Testing guidelines should be standardized across all frontend applications to ensure consistency in quality assurance practices. Key testing levels include:

• Unit Testing
• Integration Testing
• End-to-End (E2E) Testing

Providing unified testing infrastructure reduces setup time and ensures that all teams follow the same practices.

Non-development Time Testing

Post-deployment testing is equally important to monitor performance and detect issues in production environments. Tools like Lighthouse can identify performance bottlenecks, while production tests ensure the reliability of critical business flows.

7. Production Workflows

Optimizing Production Processes

Production workflows play a crucial role in ensuring application performance and reliability. Key considerations include:

• Analytics integration (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Status monitoring (e.g., Sentry)
• Performance tracking (e.g., Lighthouse audits)
• A/B testing with feature flags

Automating these processes during project bootstrapping simplifies implementation while maintaining consistency across applications.

8. Development Efficiency

Enhancing Developer Experience

Efficient development workflows are essential for productivity in large teams. Key elements include:

1. Unified CLI tools for consistent project setup.
2. External APIs or dedicated servers to simplify local development.
3. Reusable CI pipeline “building blocks” to streamline configurations.

Temporary demo environments deployed per pull request allow teams to preview changes in near-production settings—speeding up feedback loops between stakeholders.

Conclusion

Scaling frontend architecture in large organizations requires careful planning and execution across multiple dimensions—design systems, code structure, tech stacks, tooling, modularity, testing strategies, and production workflows. By implementing these best practices, organizations can create a cohesive development environment that fosters collaboration, reduces complexity, and improves overall efficiency.

This comprehensive approach not only benefits engineers but also ensures consistent user experiences across all applications—a win-win for both teams and end-users alike!

Read more such articles from our Newsletter here.