Moving from outdated numeric tokens to a modern base-semantic-component structure. This shift created a unified language across product and engineering, improved consistency, and enabled scalable design decisions.
As the product designer responsible for this initiative, I conducted extensive research on token architecture, analyzed our existing system, and identified gaps that were slowing down both designers and developers. I defined the new base tokens, created clear semantic layers, and mapped them to component-level tokens that aligned with our real product needs. I documented the entire system, wrote detailed guidelines, and built a structured model that made our design language predictable and easy to maintain. Beyond the system design itself, I ran a company-wide workshop that taught teams how to adopt the new tokens, how to wire them correctly, and how to think about tokens as a shared, scalable foundation. This included hands-on examples, best practices, and guidance for transitioning from numeric tokens to meaningful semantic roles.
During implementation, I collaborated closely with the development team—providing specs, mapping strategies, and a clear conversion plan from old tokens to the new system. I personally handled the mapping of every numeric token to its new base–semantic–component equivalent to ensure consistency across the entire product ecosystem. Developers implemented their side according to the guidelines I created, while I oversaw quality, alignment, and cross-product coherence. The final result is a future-ready token architecture that improves accessibility, reduces maintenance costs, and allows teams across multiple verticals to design and build faster, with fewer inconsistencies and less guesswork. This system now serves as a stable foundation for all future product updates, enabling a smoother workflow between design and engineering.
Tokens Becoming Structure
