Design tokens, or “tokens” are basic design choices represented
as information. They’re the foundational constructing blocks of design techniques.
Because the launch of the second editor’s
draft of the
design token specification in 2022 and the name for device
makers
to begin implementing and offering suggestions, the panorama of design token
instruments has advanced quickly. Instruments like code turbines, documentation
techniques, and UI design software program are actually higher geared up to assist design
tokens, underscoring their rising significance in trendy UI structure.
On this article, I will clarify what design tokens are, when they’re helpful and apply
them successfully. We’ll deal with key architectural choices which might be usually tough to vary later, together with:
- The way to manage design tokens in layers to stability scalability, maintainability and developer expertise.
- Whether or not all tokens ought to be made obtainable to product groups or only a subset.
- The way to automate the distribution means of tokens throughout groups.
Function of design tokens
Round 2017, I used to be concerned in a big undertaking that used the Micro
Frontend
Structure to
scale growth groups. On this setup, totally different groups have been accountable
for various elements of the consumer interface, which could possibly be even on the identical
web page. Every crew might deploy its micro-frontend independently.
There have been varied circumstances the place elements could be displayed on prime of
one another (reminiscent of dialogs or toasts showing on prime of content material areas),
which weren’t a part of the identical micro frontend. Groups used the CSS
property z-index to regulate the stacking order, usually counting on magic
numbers—arbitrary values that weren’t documented or standardized. This method
didn’t scale because the undertaking grew. It led to points that took effort to
repair, as cross-team collaboration was wanted.
The difficulty was ultimately addressed with design tokens and I believe makes
an excellent instance to introduce the idea. The respective token file would possibly
have appeared just like this:
{
"z-index": {
"$kind": "quantity",
"default": {
"$worth": 1
},
"sticky": {
"$worth": 100
},
"navigation": {
"$worth": 200
},
"spinner": {
"$worth": 300
},
"toast": {
"$worth": 400
},
"modal": {
"$worth": 500
}
}
}
The design tokens above signify the set of z-index values that may
be used within the software and the title offers builders a good suggestion of
the place to make use of them. A token file like this may be built-in into the
designers’ workflow and in addition be used to generate code, in a format that
every crew requires. For instance, on this case, the token file might need
been used to generate CSS or SCSS variables:
css
:root {
--z-index-default: 1;
--z-index-sticky: 100;
--z-index-navigation: 200;
--z-index-spinner: 300;
--z-index-toast: 400;
--z-index-modal: 500;
}scss
$z-index-default: 1; $z-index-sticky: 100; $z-index-navigation: 200; $z-index-spinner: 300; $z-index-toast: 400; $z-index-modal: 500;
What are design tokens?
Salesforce initially launched design tokens to streamline design
updates to a number of
platforms.
The Design Tokens Group Group describes design tokens as “a
methodology for expressing design choices in a platform-agnostic means so
that they are often shared throughout totally different disciplines, instruments, and
applied sciences
Let’s break this down:
- Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Design tokens act as a typical language
that aligns designers, builders, product managers, and different disciplines. By
providing a single supply of reality for design choices, they be certain that
everybody concerned within the product life cycle is on the identical web page, resulting in extra
environment friendly workflows. - Software integration: Design tokens might be built-in into varied design
and growth instruments, together with UI design software program, token editors, translation
instruments (code turbines), and documentation techniques. This allows design updates
to be rapidly mirrored within the code base and are synchronized throughout groups. - Expertise adaptability: Design tokens might be translated into totally different
applied sciences like CSS, SASS, and JavaScript for the net, and even used on native
platforms like Android and iOS. This flexibility allows design consistency
throughout quite a lot of platforms and units.
Establishing a single supply of reality
A key advantage of design tokens is their capacity to function a single
supply of reality for each design and engineering groups. This ensures that
a number of services or products keep visible and practical
consistency.
A translation
device takes one or
extra design token recordsdata as enter and generates platform-specific code as
output. Some translation instruments may also produce documentation for the
design tokens within the type of HTML. On the time of writing, common
translation instruments embody Fashion
Dictionary,
Theo, Diez
or Specify App.
Automated design token distribution
On this part, we’ll discover automate the distribution of
design tokens to product groups.
Let’s assume our objective is to supply groups with up to date, tech-specific
design tokens instantly after a designer makes a change. To realize
this, we will automate the interpretation and distribution course of utilizing a
deployment pipeline for design tokens. Moreover platform-specific code
artifacts (like CSS for the net, XML for Android and so forth.), the pipeline would possibly
additionally deploy the documentation for the design tokens.
One essential requirement is maintaining design tokens underneath model management.
Fortunately, plugins for common design instruments like Figma already combine
with Git suppliers like GitHub. It is thought-about greatest observe to make use of the
Git repository as the one supply of reality for design tokens—not the
design device itself. Nevertheless, this requires the plugin to assist syncing
each methods between the repository and the design device, which not all
plugins do. As of now, Tokens Studio is a plugin that provides this
bidirectional syncing. For detailed steerage on integrating Tokens Studio
with totally different Git suppliers, please discuss with their
documentation.
The device allows you to configure a goal department and helps a
trunk-based in addition to a pull-request-based workflow.
As soon as the tokens are underneath model management, we will arrange a deployment
pipeline to construct and deploy the artifacts wanted by the product groups,
which embody platform-specific supply code and documentation. The supply
code is usually packaged as a library and distributed by way of an artifact
registry. This method offers product groups management over the improve
cycle. They will undertake up to date types by merely updating their
dependencies. These updates may additionally be utilized not directly via updates of element
libraries that use the token-based types.
Determine 2: Automated design token distribution
This general setup has allowed groups at Thoughtworks to roll out
smaller design modifications throughout a number of front-ends and groups in a single
day.
Absolutely automated pipeline
Essentially the most easy method to design the pipeline could be a
absolutely automated trunk-based workflow. On this setup, all modifications
pushed to the primary department will likely be instantly deployed so long as they
cross the automated high quality gates.
Such a pipeline would possibly encompass the next jobs:
- Test: Validate the design token recordsdata utilizing a design token validator
or a JSON validator. - Construct: Use a translation device like Fashion
Dictionary to transform design token recordsdata into
platform-specific codecs. This job may also construct the docs utilizing the
translation device or by integrating a devoted documentation device. - Check: This job is extremely depending on the testing technique. Though
some assessments might be performed utilizing the design token file immediately (like checking the
shade distinction), a typical method is to check the generated code utilizing a
documentation device reminiscent of Storybook. Storybook has wonderful check
assist for visible regression
assessments, accessibility assessments, interplay assessments, and different check sorts. - Publish: Publish up to date tokens to a bundle supervisor (for instance,
npm). The discharge course of and versioning might be absolutely automated with a bundle
publishing device that’s primarily based on Standard
Commits like
semantic-release.
semantic-release additionally permits the deployment of packages to a number of platforms.
The publish job may also deploy documentation for the design tokens. - Notify: Inform groups of the brand new token model by way of e mail or chat, so
that they will replace their dependencies.
Determine 3: Absolutely automated deployment pipeline
Pipeline together with handbook approval
Generally absolutely automated high quality gates are usually not adequate. If a
handbook overview is required earlier than publishing, a typical method is to
deploy an up to date model of the documentation with the most recent design
token to a preview surroundings (a brief surroundings).
If a device like Storybook is used, this preview would possibly include not
solely the design tokens but additionally present them built-in with the
elements used within the software.
An approval course of might be applied by way of a pull-request workflow.
Or, it may be a handbook approval / deployment step within the pipeline.
Determine 4: Deployment pipeline with handbook approval
Organizing tokens in layers
As mentioned earlier, design tokens signify design choices as information.
Nevertheless, not all choices function on the identical degree of element. As an alternative,
ideally, normal design choices information extra particular ones. Organizing
tokens (or design choices) into layers permits designers to make
choices on the proper degree of abstraction, supporting consistency and
scalability.
For example, making particular person shade decisions for each new element isn’t sensible.
As an alternative, it’s extra environment friendly to outline a foundational shade palette after which
resolve how and the place these colours are utilized. This method reduces the
variety of choices whereas sustaining a constant feel and look.
There are three key varieties of design choices for which design tokens
are used. They construct on prime of each other:
- What design choices can be found to make use of?
- How are these types utilized throughout the consumer interface?
- The place precisely are these types utilized (through which elements)?
There are numerous names for these three varieties of tokens (as typical,
naming is the arduous half). On this article, we’ll use the phrases proposed
by Samantha
Gordashko:
possibility tokens, determination tokens and element tokens.
Let’s use our shade instance for instance how design tokens can
reply the three questions above.
Choice tokens: defining what design choices are supplied
Choice tokens (additionally known as primitive tokens, base tokens, core
tokens, basis tokens or reference tokens) outline what
types can be utilized within the software. They outline issues like shade
palettes, spacing/sizing scales or font households. Not all of them are
essentially used within the software, however they current affordable
choices.
Utilizing our instance, let’s assume we’ve got a shade palette with 9 shades for every shade,
starting from very gentle to extremely saturated. Beneath, we outline the blue tones and gray tones as option-tokens:
{
"shade": {
"$kind": "shade",
"choices": {
"blue-100": {"$worth": "#e0f2ff"},
"blue-200": {"$worth": "#cae8ff"},
"blue-300": {"$worth": "#b5deff"},
"blue-400": {"$worth": "#96cefd"},
"blue-500": {"$worth": "#78bbfa"},
"blue-600": {"$worth": "#59a7f6"},
"blue-700": {"$worth": "#3892f3"},
"blue-800": {"$worth": "#147af3"},
"blue-900": {"$worth": "#0265dc"},
"grey-100": {"$worth": "#f8f8f8"},
"grey-200": {"$worth": "#e6e6e6"},
"grey-300": {"$worth": "#d5d5d5"},
"grey-400": {"$worth": "#b1b1b1"},
"grey-500": {"$worth": "#909090"},
"grey-600": {"$worth": "#6d6d6d"},
"grey-700": {"$worth": "#464646"},
"grey-800": {"$worth": "#222222"},
"grey-900": {"$worth": "#000000"},
"white": {"$worth": "#ffffff"}
}
}
}Though it’s extremely helpful to have affordable choices, possibility tokens fall quick
of being adequate for guiding builders on how and the place to use them.
Determination tokens: defining how types are utilized
Determination tokens (additionally known as semantic tokens or system tokens)
specify how these type choices ought to be utilized contextually throughout
the UI.
Within the context of our shade instance, they may embody choices like the next:
- grey-100 is used as a floor shade.
- grey-200 is used for the background of disabled components.
- grey-400 is used for the textual content of disabled components.
- grey-900 is used as a default shade for textual content.
- blue-900 is used as an accent shade.
- white is used for textual content on accent shade backgrounds.
The corresponding determination token file would appear to be this:
{
"shade": {
"$kind": "shade",
"choices": {
"floor": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.grey-100}",
"description": "Used as a floor shade."
},
"background-disabled": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.grey-200}",
"description":"Used for the background of disabled components."
},
"text-disabled": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.grey-400}",
"description": "Used for the textual content of disabled components."
},
"textual content": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.grey-900}",
"description": "Used as default textual content shade."
},
"accent": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.blue-900}",
"description": "Used as an accent shade."
},
"text-on-accent": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.white}",
"description": "Used for textual content on accent shade backgrounds."
}
}
}
}As a developer, I might largely have an interest within the choices, not the
choices. For instance, shade tokens usually include an extended record of choices (a
shade palette), whereas only a few of these choices are literally utilized in
the appliance. The tokens which might be really related when deciding which
types to use, could be normally the choice tokens.
Determination tokens use
references to the
possibility tokens. I consider organizing tokens this manner as a layered
structure. In different articles, I’ve usually seen the time period tier being
used, however I believe layer is the higher phrase, as there isn’t a bodily
separation implied. The diagram under visualizes the 2 layers we talked
about to date:
Determine 5: 2-layer sample
Part tokens: defining the place types are utilized
Part tokens (or component-specific tokens) map the determination
tokens to particular elements of the UI. They present the place types are
utilized.
The time period element within the context of design tokens doesn’t all the time
map to the technical time period element. For instance, a button is likely to be
applied as a UI element in some functions, whereas different
functions simply use the button HTML aspect as an alternative. Part
tokens could possibly be utilized in each circumstances.
Part tokens might be organised in a group referencing a number of determination tokens. In our instance, this references
would possibly embody text- and background-colors for various variants of the button (major, secondary) in addition to disabled buttons.
They may additionally embody references to tokens of different sorts (spacing/sizing, borders and so forth.) which I will omit within the
following instance:
{
"button": {
"major": {
"background": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.accent}"
},
"textual content": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.text-on-accent}"
}
},
"secondary": {
"background": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.floor}"
},
"textual content": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.textual content}"
}
},
"background-disabled": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.background-disabled}"
},
"text-disabled": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.text-disabled}"
}
}
}To some extent, element tokens are merely the results of making use of
choices to particular elements. Nevertheless, as this
instance reveals, this course of isn’t all the time easy—particularly for
builders with out design expertise. Whereas determination tokens can supply a
normal sense of which types to make use of in a given context, element tokens
present further readability.
Determine 6: 3-layer sample
Be aware: there could also be “snowflake” conditions the place layers are skipped.
For instance, it won’t be attainable to outline a normal determination for
each single element token, or these choices won’t have been made
but (for instance at first of a undertaking).
Token scope
I already talked about that whereas possibility tokens are very useful to
designers, they won’t be related for software builders utilizing the
platform-specific code artifacts. Utility builders will usually be
extra within the determination/element tokens.
Though token scope will not be but included within the design token
spec, some design
techniques already separate tokens into non-public (additionally known as inner) and
public (additionally known as international) tokens. For instance, the Salesforce Lightning
Design System launched a flag for every
token. There are
varied the reason why this may be a good suggestion:
- it guides builders on which tokens to make use of
- fewer choices present a greater developer expertise
- it reduces the file dimension as not all tokens have to be included
- non-public/inner tokens might be modified or eliminated with out breaking
modifications
A draw back of creating possibility tokens non-public is that builders would rely
on designers to all the time make these types obtainable as determination or element
tokens. This might change into a problem in case of restricted availability of the
designers or if not all choices can be found, for instance at the beginning of
a undertaking.
Sadly, there isn’t a standardized resolution but for implementing
scope for design tokens. So the method is dependent upon the tool-chain of the
undertaking and can more than likely want some customized code.
File-based scope
Utilizing Fashion Dictionary, we will use a
filter to
expose solely public tokens. Essentially the most easy method could be to
filter on the file ending. If we use totally different file endings for element,
determination and possibility tokens, we will use a filter on the file path, for
instance, to make the choice tokens layer non-public.
Fashion Dictionary config
const styleDictionary = new StyleDictionary({
"supply": ["color.options.json", "color.decisions.json"],
"platforms": {
"css": {
"transformGroup": "css",
"recordsdata": [
{
"destination": "variables.css",
"filter": token => !token.filePath.endsWith('options.json'),
"format": "css/variables"
}
]
}
}
});The ensuing CSS variables would include
solely these determination tokens, and never the choice tokens.
Generated CSS variables
:root {
--color-decisions-surface: #f8f8f8;
--color-decisions-background-disabled: #e6e6e6;
--color-decisions-text-disabled: #b1b1b1;
--color-decisions-text: #000000;
--color-decisions-accent: #0265dc;
--color-decisions-text-on-accent: #ffffff;
}A extra versatile method
If extra flexibility is required, it is likely to be preferable so as to add a scope
flag to every token and to filter primarily based on this flag:
Fashion Dictionary config
const styleDictionary = new StyleDictionary({
"supply": ["color.options.json", "color.decisions.json"],
"platforms": {
"css": {
"transformGroup": "css",
"recordsdata": [
{
"destination": "variables.css",
"filter": {
"public": true
},
"format": "css/variables"
}
]
}
}
});If we then add the flag to the choice tokens, the ensuing CSS would
be the identical as above:
Tokens with scope flag
{
"shade": {
"$kind": "shade",
"choices": {
"floor": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.grey-100}",
"description": "Used as a floor shade.",
"public": true
},
"background-disabled": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.grey-200}",
"description":"Used for the background of disabled components.",
"public": true
},
"text-disabled": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.grey-400}",
"description": "Used for the textual content of disabled components.",
"public": true
},
"textual content": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.grey-900}",
"description": "Used as default textual content shade.",
"public": true
},
"accent": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.blue-900}",
"description": "Used as an accent shade.",
"public": true
},
"text-on-accent": {
"$worth": "{shade.choices.white}",
"description": "Used for textual content on accent shade backgrounds.",
"public": true
}
}
}
}Generated CSS variables
:root {
--color-decisions-surface: #f8f8f8;
--color-decisions-background-disabled: #e6e6e6;
--color-decisions-text-disabled: #b1b1b1;
--color-decisions-text: #000000;
--color-decisions-accent: #0265dc;
--color-decisions-text-on-accent: #ffffff;
}Such flags can now even be set via the Figma
UI
(if utilizing Figma variables as a supply of reality for design tokens). It’s
obtainable as
hiddenFromPublishing
flag by way of the Plugins API.
Ought to I exploit design tokens?
Design tokens supply important advantages for contemporary UI structure,
however they is probably not the suitable match for each undertaking.
Advantages embody:
- Improved lead time for design modifications
- Constant design language and UI structure throughout platforms and
applied sciences - Design tokens being comparatively light-weight from an implementation level of
view
Drawbacks embody:
- Preliminary effort for automation
- Designers might need to (to a point) work together with Git
- Standardization continues to be in progress
Think about the next when deciding whether or not to undertake design
tokens:
When to make use of design tokens
- Multi-Platform or Multi-Utility Environments: When working throughout
a number of platforms (net, iOS, Android…) or sustaining a number of functions or
frontends, design tokens guarantee a constant design language throughout all of
them. - Frequent Design Adjustments: For environments with common design
updates, design tokens present a structured method to handle and propagate modifications
effectively. - Giant Groups: For groups with many designers and builders, design
tokens facilitate collaboration. - Automated Workflows: In the event you’re accustomed to CI/CD pipelines, the
effort so as to add a design token pipeline is comparatively low. There are additionally
business choices.
When design tokens won’t be obligatory
- Small tasks: For smaller tasks with restricted scope and minimal
design complexity, the overhead of managing design tokens won’t be well worth the
effort. - No subject with design modifications: If the pace of design modifications,
consistency and collaboration between design and engineering are usually not a problem,
then you may additionally not want design tokens.