design-system-patterns

name: design-system-patterns
description: Build scalable design systems with design tokens, theming infrastructure, and component architecture patterns. Use when creating design tokens, implementing theme switching, building component libraries, or establishing design system foundations.

Design System Patterns

Master design system architecture to create consistent, maintainable, and scalable UI foundations across web and mobile applications.

When to Use This Skill

• Creating design tokens for colors, typography, spacing, and shadows
• Implementing light/dark theme switching with CSS custom properties
• Building multi-brand theming systems
• Architecting component libraries with consistent APIs
• Establishing design-to-code workflows with Figma tokens
• Creating semantic token hierarchies (primitive, semantic, component)
• Setting up design system documentation and guidelines

Core Capabilities

1. Design Tokens

• Primitive tokens (raw values: colors, sizes, fonts)
• Semantic tokens (contextual meaning: text-primary, surface-elevated)
• Component tokens (specific usage: button-bg, card-border)
• Token naming conventions and organization
• Multi-platform token generation (CSS, iOS, Android)

2. Theming Infrastructure

• CSS custom properties architecture
• Theme context providers in React
• Dynamic theme switching
• System preference detection (prefers-color-scheme)
• Persistent theme storage
• Reduced motion and high contrast modes

3. Component Architecture

• Compound component patterns
• Polymorphic components (as prop)
• Variant and size systems
• Slot-based composition
• Headless UI patterns
• Style props and responsive variants

4. Token Pipeline

• Figma to code synchronization
• Style Dictionary configuration
• Token transformation and formatting
• CI/CD integration for token updates

Quick Start

// Design tokens with CSS custom properties
const tokens = {
  colors: {
    // Primitive tokens
    gray: {
      50: "#fafafa",
      100: "#f5f5f5",
      900: "#171717",
    },
    blue: {
      500: "#3b82f6",
      600: "#2563eb",
    },
  },
  // Semantic tokens (reference primitives)
  semantic: {
    light: {
      "text-primary": "var(--color-gray-900)",
      "text-secondary": "var(--color-gray-600)",
      "surface-default": "var(--color-white)",
      "surface-elevated": "var(--color-gray-50)",
      "border-default": "var(--color-gray-200)",
      "interactive-primary": "var(--color-blue-500)",
    },
    dark: {
      "text-primary": "var(--color-gray-50)",
      "text-secondary": "var(--color-gray-400)",
      "surface-default": "var(--color-gray-900)",
      "surface-elevated": "var(--color-gray-800)",
      "border-default": "var(--color-gray-700)",
      "interactive-primary": "var(--color-blue-400)",
    },
  },
};

Detailed patterns and worked examples

Detailed pattern documentation lives in references/details.md. Read that file when the navigation tier above is insufficient.

Best Practices

1. Name Tokens by Purpose: Use semantic names (text-primary) not visual descriptions (dark-gray)
2. Maintain Token Hierarchy: Primitives > Semantic > Component tokens
3. Document Token Usage: Include usage guidelines with token definitions
4. Version Tokens: Treat token changes as API changes with semver
5. Test Theme Combinations: Verify all themes work with all components
6. Automate Token Pipeline: CI/CD for Figma-to-code synchronization
7. Provide Migration Paths: Deprecate tokens gradually with clear alternatives

Common Issues

• Token Sprawl: Too many tokens without clear hierarchy
• Inconsistent Naming: Mixed conventions (camelCase vs kebab-case)
• Missing Dark Mode: Tokens that don't adapt to theme changes
• Hardcoded Values: Using raw values instead of tokens
• Circular References: Tokens referencing each other in loops
• Platform Gaps: Tokens missing for some platforms (web but not mobile)