Tokens: The DNA of a Design System

Design tokens are the smallest units of a design system that store visual decisions as data. Each token represents a pair of a name and a value, such as color.text.primary = #000000. This format makes design attributes readable for both designers and developers. Instead of hardcoding values like colors or font sizes in different places, teams define them once as tokens and reuse them consistently across components, tools, and platforms.

Tokens act as a shared language between design and development, ensuring that the same visual decisions appear correctly everywhere, from web interfaces to mobile apps. They capture choices about color, spacing, typography, elevation, or animation in a format that software can interpret and apply automatically. This helps systems scale while keeping brand identity and accessibility intact.^[1]

A design token is built from two essential elements: a clear name and an assigned value. The name defines what the token controls, like color.background.success or space.medium,while the value sets the exact property, such as #E3FCEF or 16px. Using meaningful names instead of raw values creates transparency. It allows teams to understand the intent behind each token rather than focusing only on visual appearance.

Naming conventions often follow a hierarchy that explains the token’s purpose and context. For instance, in Atlassian’s system, the name might include a foundation (color), a property (background), and a modifier (success or hover). This structure improves findability and clarity in both code and design tools. Maintaining consistency in naming also supports theme changes, like switching from light to dark mode, without rewriting the entire interface.^[2]

Design tokens bring the most value in environments where multiple teams, platforms, or brands need to stay visually aligned. By storing design decisions as data, tokens make updates fast and predictable. For example, changing a single color token can update every button, background, and text style across products at once. This reduces manual work and prevents inconsistencies caused by scattered values in different files or tools.

They are especially effective for large-scale or multi-platform products, where consistent themes must appear across web, iOS, and Android. Tokens also support dynamic features like dark mode or user customization, as seen in systems such as Material Design or Atlassian. In these cases, tokens act as the foundation for responsive, themeable, and maintainable design systems that evolve smoothly without disrupting existing interfaces.^[3]

While tokens improve scalability, they can add unnecessary complexity in smaller or short-term projects. If a product has a single interface, limited visual elements, or infrequent updates, manually managing styles may be simpler and faster than implementing a full token system. Introducing pipelines, naming structures, and repositories for a small set of components can slow development rather than streamline it.

Tokens also require maintenance and clear processes between designers and developers. Without active collaboration, token layers may become redundant or outdated. In teams where design changes rarely occur or consistency is easy to maintain manually, the benefits of automation do not outweigh the setup cost. In such cases, a lightweight style guide or a shared Figma file may serve the purpose more efficiently.

Option or base tokens define the base visual values available in a design system before meaning or context is added. They describe elements such as colors, spacing units, or type scales. For example, a color palette may include a series of blues or neutrals arranged from light to dark. These values exist as part of the system’s foundation but are not yet tied to specific interface roles.

Keeping option tokens abstract helps teams maintain flexibility when brands or themes evolve. Designers can adjust the base palette or spacing scale while keeping the system structure intact. Option tokens are often called base or primitive tokens because they establish the set of visual resources the system can build from. They are used to support the next layers of tokens rather than being applied directly in components.

Decision or semantic tokens define how design options are used across the interface. They assign meaning to abstract values by describing their function, for example, mapping a gray tone to a “disabled background” or a dark blue to a “primary text.” Decision tokens turn a color palette or spacing scale into a set of purposeful design rules that guide consistent application.

Unlike option tokens, which only describe available styles, decision tokens connect those styles to specific roles and contexts. They make it clear which color represents success, which font size applies to headings, or which elevation level signals interaction. This semantic layer is essential for scalability and theme management because it allows teams to change visual attributes without rewriting every instance. A new palette can be swapped in while the design logic stays intact.

Component tokens map decision tokens to specific parts of the interface and describe exactly where styles are applied. They show how semantic choices become concrete visual rules inside components. For example, a primary button might use a decision token for its background color, another for text color, and additional tokens for its disabled state or spacing. This mapping helps teams understand how abstract design logic becomes a complete, functional UI element.

Component tokens do not always correspond to a single technical component. A “button” might be a coded component in one product, but in another it may simply be an HTML element styled through design tokens. In both cases, component tokens ensure the same visual decisions are applied consistently. They can group several decision tokens at once, such as background, text, and border values for different button variants or states.

Because component tokens describe the exact styles for each part of a UI element, they remove guesswork for developers. They clarify how to apply decisions across states like hover, pressed, or disabled and can extend beyond color to include spacing, radius, or elevation. This provides detailed control and ensures that even complex components stay aligned across platforms and design tools.

Design token systems can be structured with either two or three layers, depending on complexity. The right approach depends on scale, collaboration needs, and the expected lifespan of the system.

• A two-tier setup includes option and decision tokens. It’s simpler to maintain and works well for smaller teams or stable design systems where major changes are rare. Designers define the base options and then map them directly to their contextual uses.
• A three-tier setup adds a component layer on top of option and decision tokens. This structure offers more flexibility and precision, especially for systems that support multiple brands, themes, or products. Changes made in one layer cascade predictably through the others, helping maintain both consistency and adaptability. However, it also increases maintenance effort, as each new component may require its own token definitions.^[4]

Building a token structure starts with defining a clear hierarchy that moves from broad foundations to specific applications. For example, for colors, this usually begins with option tokens, which describe all available color values. These might include a palette of neutrals, brand colors, and accents, each labeled by tone or intensity, such as blue-100, blue-200, or grey-900. These raw values serve as the visual building blocks for the system.

The next step is defining decision tokens, which assign meaning to those colors. For example, color.background.default might reference grey-100, while color.text.link connects to blue-800. This gives colors a purpose where each token name describes its intended use rather than its appearance.

Finally, component tokens specify how these decisions apply in context, such as button.primary.background or alert.error.icon.

Organizing tokens in this layered way keeps systems scalable and easy to maintain. Each tier builds on the previous one, allowing teams to swap a palette, adjust a theme, or expand a component library without rewriting styles. Following this structure ensures that color updates cascade logically and stay consistent across interfaces.

Design tokens become powerful when integrated into automated workflows. Once defined and stored, often in a version-controlled repository, they can be transformed into platform-specific code, such as CSS variables, Swift constants, or Android XML. Tools like Style Dictionary or Tokens Studio enable this translation, ensuring design updates automatically propagate across all platforms without manual coding.

Pipelines can be fully automated or include a review step before release. After validation and testing, the updated tokens are published to package managers or internal libraries. Developers simply update dependencies to apply the latest design changes. This approach bridges design and engineering in real time, making tokens not just a design artifact but part of the product’s continuous delivery process.