Design tokens, or “tokens” are elementary design choices represented
as knowledge. They’re the foundational constructing blocks of design methods.
For the reason that launch of the second editor’s
draft of the
design token specification in 2022 and the name for device
makers
to start out implementing and offering suggestions, the panorama of design token
instruments has developed quickly. Instruments like code turbines, documentation
methods, and UI design software program at the moment are higher geared up to help design
tokens, underscoring their rising significance in fashionable UI structure.
On this article, I am going to clarify what design tokens are, when they’re helpful and learn how to apply
them successfully. We’ll give attention to key architectural choices which might be usually tough to vary later, together with:
- Learn how to manage design tokens in layers to steadiness scalability, maintainability and developer expertise.
- Whether or not all tokens needs to be made accessible to product groups or only a subset.
- Learn how to automate the distribution strategy of tokens throughout groups.
Function of design tokens
Round 2017, I used to be concerned in a big venture that used the Micro
Frontend
Structure to
scale improvement groups. On this setup, completely different groups had been accountable
for various components of the person interface, which might be even on the identical
web page. Every crew may deploy its micro-frontend independently.
There have been numerous circumstances the place elements could be displayed on high of
one another (comparable to dialogs or toasts showing on high 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 venture grew. It led to points that took effort to
repair, as cross-team collaboration was wanted.
The difficulty was finally addressed with design tokens and I believe makes
instance to introduce the idea. The respective token file may
have appeared much like this:
{
"z-index": {
"$sort": "quantity",
"default": {
"$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 identify provides 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 may 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 Neighborhood Group describes design tokens as “a
methodology for expressing design choices in a platform-agnostic means so
that they are often shared throughout completely 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 make sure that
everybody concerned within the product life cycle is on the identical web page, resulting in extra
environment friendly workflows. - Instrument integration: Design tokens might be built-in into numerous design
and improvement instruments, together with UI design software program, token editors, translation
instruments (code turbines), and documentation methods. This allows design updates
to be shortly mirrored within the code base and are synchronized throughout groups. - Expertise adaptability: Design tokens might be translated into completely 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 gadgets.
Establishing a single supply of reality
A key good thing about design tokens is their potential to function a single
supply of reality for each design and engineering groups. This ensures that
a number of services or products preserve 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, widespread
translation instruments embody Type
Dictionary,
Theo, Diez
or Specify App.
Automated design token distribution
On this part, we’ll discover learn how to 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 are able to automate the interpretation and distribution course of utilizing a
deployment pipeline for design tokens. In addition to platform-specific code
artifacts (like CSS for the net, XML for Android and so on.), the pipeline may
additionally deploy the documentation for the design tokens.
One essential requirement is preserving design tokens underneath model management.
Fortunately, plugins for widespread design instruments like Figma already combine
with Git suppliers like GitHub. It is thought of finest apply to make use of the
Git repository as the one supply of reality for design tokens—not the
design device itself. Nonetheless, this requires the plugin to help 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 completely different Git suppliers, please confer 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 are able to 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 provides product groups management over the improve
cycle. They’ll undertake up to date kinds by merely updating their
dependencies. These updates may be utilized not directly by way of updates of element
libraries that use the token-based kinds.
Determine 2: Automated design token distribution
This total setup has allowed groups at Thoughtworks to roll out
smaller design modifications throughout a number of front-ends and groups in a single
day.
Totally automated pipeline
Probably the most easy solution to design the pipeline could be a
absolutely automated trunk-based workflow. On this setup, all modifications
pushed to the primary department can be instantly deployed so long as they
cross the automated high quality gates.
Such a pipeline may include the next jobs:
- Test: Validate the design token recordsdata utilizing a design token validator
or a JSON validator. - Construct: Use a translation device like Type
Dictionary to transform design token recordsdata into
platform-specific codecs. This job may additionally construct the docs utilizing the
translation device or by integrating a devoted documentation device. - Take a look at: This job is extremely depending on the testing technique. Though
some exams might be finished utilizing the design token file instantly (like checking the
shade distinction), a typical method is to check the generated code utilizing a
documentation device comparable to Storybook. Storybook has glorious take a look at
help for visible regression
exams, accessibility exams, interplay exams, and different take a look at sorts. - Publish: Publish up to date tokens to a package deal supervisor (for instance,
npm). The discharge course of and versioning might be absolutely automated with a package deal
publishing device that’s based mostly on Standard
Commits like
semantic-release.
semantic-release additionally permits the deployment of packages to a number of platforms.
The publish job may additionally deploy documentation for the design tokens. - Notify: Inform groups of the brand new token model by way of electronic mail or chat, so
that they’ll replace their dependencies.
Determine 3: Totally automated deployment pipeline
Pipeline together with handbook approval
Generally absolutely automated high quality gates usually are not enough. 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 short lived surroundings).
If a device like Storybook is used, this preview may comprise not
solely the design tokens but in addition 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 knowledge.
Nonetheless, not all choices function on the similar degree of element. As an alternative,
ideally, basic 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.
As an example, making particular person shade selections for each new element isn’t sensible.
As an alternative, it’s extra environment friendly to outline a foundational shade palette after which
determine how and the place these colours are utilized. This method reduces the
variety of choices whereas sustaining a constant appear and feel.
There are three key kinds of design choices for which design tokens
are used. They construct on high of each other:
- What design choices can be found to make use of?
- How are these kinds utilized throughout the person interface?
- The place precisely are these kinds utilized (by which elements)?
There are numerous names for these three kinds of tokens (as standard,
naming is the onerous half). On this article, we’ll use the phrases proposed
by Samantha
Gordashko:
choice tokens, determination tokens and element tokens.
Let’s use our shade instance as an example how design tokens can
reply the three questions above.
Choice tokens: defining what design choices are offered
Choice tokens (additionally referred to as primitive tokens, base tokens, core
tokens, basis tokens or reference tokens) outline what
kinds 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 cheap
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. Under, we outline the blue tones and gray tones as option-tokens:
{
"shade": {
"$sort": "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": {"$worth": "#ffffff"}
}
}
}
Though it’s extremely helpful to have cheap choices, choice tokens fall quick
of being enough for guiding builders on how and the place to use them.
Determination tokens: defining how kinds are utilized
Determination tokens (additionally referred to as semantic tokens or system tokens)
specify how these fashion choices needs to be utilized contextually throughout
the UI.
Within the context of our shade instance, they could embody choices like the next:
- grey-100 is used as a floor shade.
- grey-200 is used for the background of disabled components.
- grey-400 is used for the textual content of disabled components.
- grey-900 is used as a default shade for textual content.
- blue-900 is used as an accent shade.
- white is used for textual content on accent shade backgrounds.
The corresponding determination token file would seem like this:
{
"shade": {
"$sort": "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’d principally have an interest within the choices, not the
choices. For instance, shade tokens sometimes comprise a protracted record of choices (a
shade palette), whereas only a few of these choices are literally utilized in
the appliance. The tokens which might be truly related when deciding which
kinds to use, could be often the choice tokens.
Determination tokens use
references to the
choice tokens. I consider organizing tokens this fashion 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 any bodily
separation implied. The diagram beneath visualizes the 2 layers we talked
about to this point:
Determine 5: 2-layer sample
Element tokens: defining the place kinds are utilized
Element tokens (or component-specific tokens) map the determination
tokens to particular components of the UI. They present the place kinds are
utilized.
The time period element within the context of design tokens doesn’t at all times
map to the technical time period element. For instance, a button could be
applied as a UI element in some purposes, whereas different
purposes simply use the button HTML factor as a substitute. Element
tokens might be utilized in each circumstances.
Element tokens might be organised in a group referencing a number of determination tokens. In our instance, this references
may embody text- and background-colors for various variants of the button (major, secondary) in addition to disabled buttons.
They could additionally embody references to tokens of different sorts (spacing/sizing, borders and so on.) which I am going to 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 a point, element tokens are merely the results of making use of
choices to particular elements. Nonetheless, as this
instance reveals, this course of isn’t at all times easy—particularly for
builders with out design expertise. Whereas determination tokens can supply a
basic sense of which kinds to make use of in a given context, element tokens
present further readability.
Determine 6: 3-layer sample
Notice: there could also be “snowflake” conditions the place layers are skipped.
For instance, it may not be potential to outline a basic determination for
each single element token, or these choices may not have been made
but (for instance in the beginning of a venture).
Token scope
I already talked about that whereas choice tokens are very useful to
designers, they won’t be related for software builders utilizing the
platform-specific code artifacts. Software builders will sometimes be
extra within the determination/element tokens.
Though token scope shouldn’t be but included within the design token
spec, some design
methods already separate tokens into personal (additionally referred to as inner) and
public (additionally referred to as world) tokens. For instance, the Salesforce Lightning
Design System launched a flag for every
token. There are
numerous 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 measurement as not all tokens have to be included
- personal/inner tokens might be modified or eliminated with out breaking
modifications
A draw back of creating choice tokens personal is that builders would rely
on designers to at all times make these kinds accessible as determination or element
tokens. This might turn out to be a problem in case of restricted availability of the
designers or if not all choices can be found, for instance initially of
a venture.
Sadly, there isn’t any standardized resolution but for implementing
scope for design tokens. So the method is determined by the tool-chain of the
venture and can almost definitely want some customized code.
File-based scope
Utilizing Type Dictionary, we are able to use a
filter to
expose solely public tokens. Probably the most easy method could be to
filter on the file ending. If we use completely different file endings for element,
determination and choice tokens, we are able to use a filter on the file path, for
instance, to make the choice tokens layer personal.
Type 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 comprise
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 could be preferable so as to add a scope
flag to every token and to filter based mostly on this flag:
Type 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": {
"$sort": "shade",
"choices": {
"floor": {
"$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 by way of the Figma
UI
(if utilizing Figma variables as a supply of reality for design tokens). It’s
accessible as
hiddenFromPublishing
flag by way of the Plugins API.
Ought to I exploit design tokens?
Design tokens supply vital advantages for contemporary UI structure,
however they is probably not the fitting match for each venture.
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 may need to (to some extent) 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-Software Environments: When working throughout
a number of platforms (internet, iOS, Android…) or sustaining a number of purposes 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 solution to handle and propagate modifications
effectively. - Massive Groups: For groups with many designers and builders, design
tokens facilitate collaboration. - Automated Workflows: Should you’re aware of CI/CD pipelines, the
effort so as to add a design token pipeline is comparatively low. There are additionally
business choices.
When design tokens may not be vital
- Small tasks: For smaller tasks with restricted scope and minimal
design complexity, the overhead of managing design tokens may not be well worth the
effort. - No subject with design modifications: If the pace of design modifications,
consistency and collaboration between design and engineering usually are not a problem,
then you may also not want design tokens.
