Design tokens for teams who hate design systems

Design systems have a reputation problem. For many teams, the phrase conjures heavyweight documentation, endless committee meetings and a Figma library nobody maintains. But underneath the enterprise packaging is a simple idea: agree on the basics so everything else moves faster.

Design tokens are that idea without the ceremony. Named values for colour, typography, spacing, radius and shadow that both design and development can reference. Not a manifesto. A shared vocabulary.

Start small. Primary palette, neutrals, one display font pairing, spacing steps that match your grid and button styles that survive contact with real content. That alone prevents the drift where every new page invents a slightly different shade of grey.

Tokens work best when they are enforced by tools, not policy. CSS variables, theme files, component props, Figma styles. Make the right choice easy and the wrong choice noticeable.

You can grow a fuller system later if the team needs it. Most teams do not need everything on day one. They need the site, the deck and the product UI to feel like the same company without a senior designer reviewing every margin.