What is a design token versus a CSS or Sass variable?
Whether you understand abstraction layers in design systems and cross-platform interoperability. Define tokens as vendor-neutral design decisions that generate platform-specific code; contrast with CSS variables (runtime, web-only) and Sass (compile-time…
This question probes whether you see design tokens as an interoperability layer between design tools and engineering platforms, not just a naming convention. A strong answer defines tokens as the W3C-backed standard for encoding design decisions like color and spacing in a tool-agnostic format; explains that CSS custom properties are runtime web values and Sass variables are compile-time web abstractions, while tokens generate iOS, Android, and web outputs from a single source of truth.
Read the original → w3.org
- #design systems
- #design tokens
- #css
- #interoperability
- #frontend architecture
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