Design Tokens Should Express Intent, Not Raw Values, Argues Developer

A developer argues that design tokens are fundamentally misunderstood when teams treat them as simple CSS variables. The core mistake occurs when tools like Figma generate tokens that map directly to raw values, such as --color-blue-500, rather than semantic decisions. A true design token answers the question of purpose — for example, --color-accent — rather than describing a specific value. This semantic layer allows the underlying implementation to change without breaking the token's meaning. The author contends that confusing primitives with tokens produces design systems that fail both designers and developers.