Even Figma isn't sure about its own design tokens

Even Figma isn't sure about its own design tokens

Design tokens are not new. People have used them for over a decade. But for ten years, the industry had one big problem. We never agreed on a format. Every team used their own way to write tokens.

Now, the industry is changing.

The Design Tokens Community Group (DTCG) is settling the format. This is a W3C effort. It is not a small project. Big names are backing it:

• Adobe • Google • Microsoft • Meta • Amazon • Shopify • Figma

Most companies are moving toward this open standard.

Here is my bet: A storm is coming for design tools.

If you tie your tokens directly to one specific tool, you are at risk. If that tool changes or fails, you face a massive rewrite. If you anchor your tokens to an open standard instead, you stay safe.

Even Figma faces challenges. Figma is on the list of DTCG supporters, but they still struggle with their own data. When you look at a Figma variable, you see a bare number. You might see the number 10. You have to guess if that means 10 pixels, a z-index of 10, or 10 milliseconds.

The tool does not tell you. Other tools reading that file cannot tell you either.

This creates a risk. If you build your entire pipeline around a single vendor, you are exposed.

The smart move is to use DTCG as your middle layer.

Build your system around the open standard. Use a small adapter to pull data from Figma if you have to. If Figma improves its export, you just throw the adapter away. Your core system stays the same because it relies on the standard, not the tool.

The design tool should not own your tokens. It should just be one way you consume them.

Stop building for one tool. Start building for the industry standard.

Source: https://dev.to/slafleche/even-figma-isnt-sure-about-its-own-design-tokens-4mko