Design tokens are now the default, not a bonus

Design tokens have quietly become the default way design systems hand off to code, not an advanced extra. Figma Variables and Penpot's token support both reflect this shift.

Design tokens — colour, spacing and type stored as reusable variables rather than hardcoded values — have moved from 'nice extra' to the default way design systems talk to code. Figma's Variables and Penpot's token support both reflect this: teams increasingly expect a tokenised handoff, not a static style guide PDF. If you're contributing to or building a system, this is table stakes now, not cutting-edge. Design Systems News keeps tracking releases and governance debates in this space if you want to go deeper than the basics.

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