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Design Systems Page Patterns

Design Token Governance

Tokens should express roles and constraints, not merely store colors, type, and spacing.

tokensdesign-systemgovernance

Design Principle

Maintainable tokens need names, scope, defaults, and prohibited uses so humans and agents can share them.

Principle Maintainable tokens need names, scope, defaults, and prohibited uses so humans and agents can share them.

Design action Name color, spacing, radius, shadow, and typography as semantic tokens; generated pages should reuse tokens before inventing one-off styles.

Examples Positive example: Design systems, themes, and multi-page products. Counterexample: Token names describe appearance only.

Apply when Design systems, themes, and multi-page products. Agents need reusable visual rules.

Source notes Source note: Synthesized from GOV.UK, Carbon, Polaris, Atlassian, Design.Systems, Design Systems Repo, and product-pattern libraries.

Agent Directive

Name color, spacing, radius, shadow, and typography as semantic tokens; generated pages should reuse tokens before inventing one-off styles.

Apply When

  • Design systems, themes, and multi-page products.
  • Agents need reusable visual rules.

Avoid

  • Token names describe appearance only.
  • Each page adds temporary variables.

Knowledge Metadata

Category
Design Systems Page Patterns
Quality
82%
Version
v1
Published
6/6/2026