design-tokens-structure

Structure design tokens using a three-layer architecture—primitive, semantic, and component—to enable theming. Semantic tokens map to primitive values per theme, allowing light/dark or brand variants to switch cleanly without altering component-level references.

Migrate hard-coded values to a token system by first extracting raw values into a primitive layer, then mapping them to semantic tokens for purpose-driven usage, and finally generating CSS variables or JSON outputs for consistent application.

Organize Tailwind design tokens by defining primitives as raw values, mapping them to semantic tokens for contextual usage, and generating Tailwind configuration outputs alongside CSS variables to maintain scalable, governed styling.

This design token structure works for both new and existing systems. It applies when starting a token system from scratch, reorganizing an existing token set, or introducing multi-brand support to establish governed, scalable theming pipelines.

Component tokens are optional in a semantic design token system, used when specific UI elements require isolated values. They sit above the semantic layer, referencing semantic mappings to maintain consistency while allowing component-level overrides.