Dev Tools · 1h ago
Design tokens should be semantic, not implementation details
Design tokens are often mistakenly mapped 1:1 to CSS variables, creating tokens like --color-blue-500 that are implementation details. True tokens are semantic decisions like --color-accent, which abstract the underlying value. This distinction ensures design systems serve both designers and developers effectively.
Meridian48 take
The article correctly identifies a common anti-pattern in design systems, but the distinction between primitives and tokens is well-known; the real challenge is enforcing it at scale.
design-tokensdesign-systems