The Difference Between Background and Surface Tokens

Discover the key differences between 'background' and 'surface' in color token naming and practical tips to choose the right one for your own.

Sep 4 • 

Francesco Improta

2

July 2025

Design Tokens for Links

A pragmatic exploration of token architecture choices for hyperlinks in design systems

Jul 15 • 

Francesco Improta

2

2

June 2025

Understanding W3C Design Token Types

Discover the W3C standard types for design tokens and learn how to implement them effectively in Figma, CSS, and Penpot.

Jun 5 • 

Francesco Improta

1

April 2025

How Penpot Reduces Design Tokens Fragmentation

Penpot's native Design Tokens feature enhances team collaboration through standardized tokens management.

Apr 10 • 

Francesco Improta

5

2

March 2025

Composite vs Simple Tokens

Let's explore how composite tokens differ from simple ones, analyzing their main use cases with practical examples

Mar 20 • 

Francesco Improta

3

February 2025

Structuring Design Tokens for Interactive States

Exploring two different approaches to defining interactive state tokens: property-specific and semantic group tokens

Feb 11 • 

Francesco Improta

6

November 2024

Common Mistakes in Design Tokens Adoption

Practical solutions to common mistakes in design tokens creation and adoption.

Nov 11, 2024 • 

Francesco Improta

October 2024

Join my new Subscribers Chat

A private space for us to converse and connect

Oct 30, 2024 • 

Francesco Improta

Balancing Specificity and Scalability

Three strategies for balancing specificity and scalability when implementing design tokens.

Oct 7, 2024 • 

Francesco Improta

6

May 2024

Design Tokens and Variables

They both serve as symbolic references to specific values but have different scopes.

May 23, 2024 • 

Francesco Improta

4

March 2024

Six Styles for Naming Design Tokens

A comprehensive exploration of widespread and well-known naming conventions and their respective pros and cons.

Mar 19, 2024 • 

Francesco Improta

12

February 2024

Abstraction is the real value of design tokens

The value of design tokens is in their ability to simplify things. Deciding how detailed to make the abstraction is a balance between control and…

Feb 2, 2024 • 

Francesco Improta

2