Pega UX solutions and versions

Pega currently offers the following design systems for building enterprise applications:

• Constellation: A design system for enterprise with a complete, prescribed presentation layer that includes the information architecture, interactions, accessibility, data visualizations, and more. It is built on the latest view-based technology and is configurable in App Studio by low-code developers, such as UX designers or business architects.   

• Theme Cosmos: A design system built on the classic Pega section-based technology. It requires a low-code developer and a professional developer (if needed) to configure. 

Both Theme Cosmos and the Constellation design system offer efficient, user-friendly, and productive UI experiences for professional users. Both technologies are fully supported, with additional tooling in continued development. 

• Theme UI-Kit: The classic version of a Pega design kit. Theme UI-Kit is fully customizable and works on classic Pega section-based technology. It requires the expertise of professional Pega developers to configure.  

The following figure summarizes the difference between each Pega UX solution:

In Pega Platform, you can also build an entirely proprietary UI on Pega technology. There are multiple solutions to do this, including:

Traditional UI architecture, which uses the Traditional DX API. This architecture:

• Incorporates a mashup-like use case through which you can embed aspects of the UI in a website. 
• Uses known and established UI rules (harnesses, sections, controls, actions). 
• Supports React, Vue, and Angular starter packs available on Pega Marketplace. 
• Works best for existing Pega Platform applications. 
• Does not support all Pega UI features out of the box. 

Constellation architecture, which uses the Constellation DX API. This architecture:

• Clearly separates data and layout. 
• Reduces the number of messages (chattiness). 
• Reduces implementation effort by using DX JavaScript APIs and starter kit structural components.  
• Is compatible with established frameworks, such as Angular, Constellation architecture, and Web Components. 
• Works best for new applications. 
• Aims to support the full Pega UI capability set and is part of current and future Constellation implementations. 

SDKs provide a new technology stack authored in App Studio that supports views instead of harnesses and sections. The technology consists of the Pega Constellation technology stack and the Constellation design system.  

With SDKs, you can bring your own established design system to interact with Pega data. As a result, users can work in a familiar design system, which reduces learning time. For more information, see Constellation SDKs. 

By using the Constellation design system, you can embed Pega workflows in an existing customer-facing application that is built with another technology. As a result, you can gather data for your application in the confines of your site. The following figure shows an example of an embedded channel in an external web page, highlighted on the right:

Check your knowledge with the following interaction: