TokenCraft: Bridging Design and Development

TokenCraft (in development)

A design-to-code platform helping designers and developers create, manage, and distribute design tokens with ease. Features a visual interface for organizing tokens into workspaces, collections, and modes (light/dark, accessibility), with API-first architecture supporting multiple export formats and seamless integration into existing workflows.

The Problem

Design tokens are the foundation of any scalable design system, but managing them across different platforms and keeping design and development teams in sync has always been a challenge. Teams often struggle with:

• Fragmented workflows between design tools and development environments
• Manual synchronization of design tokens across platforms
• Version control issues when design tokens change
• Lack of visibility into token usage and dependencies

The Solution

TokenCraft addresses these pain points with a comprehensive token management platform that features:

🎨 Visual Token Editor

• Intuitive interface for creating and editing design tokens
• Real-time preview of changes
• Support for color, typography, spacing, and semantic tokens

🔧 Multi-Mode Management

• Light/Dark mode support with automatic variant generation
• Accessibility modes ensuring WCAG compliance
• Responsive breakpoints for adaptive design systems

🚀 API-First Architecture

• RESTful API for all token operations
• Webhook support for real-time synchronization
• GraphQL endpoint for complex queries

📦 Multiple Export Formats

• JSON for web applications
• CSS Custom Properties for direct browser usage
• SCSS/Less variables for preprocessor workflows
• iOS/Android native formats for mobile apps

🔗 Version Control Integration

• GitHub and GitLab direct integration
• Automated pull requests for token changes
• Branch-based workflow support
• Conflict resolution tools

Tech Stack

• Frontend: Next.js 14 with App Router
• Backend: Node.js with Express
• Database: PostgreSQL with Prisma ORM
• Authentication: NextAuth.js with multiple providers
• File Storage: AWS S3 for asset management
• CI/CD: GitHub Actions for automated deployments

Key Features Under Development

Key features under development include:

• Visual token management: Define colors, typography, spacing, and more.
• Mode handling: Automatically generate dark mode or high-contrast variants from a base palette.
• Multi-output exports: From raw JSON (DTCG format) to developer-friendly CSS.
• CLI tooling: Automate token sync directly into repositories.
• Figma integration (planned): A plugin to push and pull tokens directly inside design files.

Workspaces & Collections

Organize your design tokens in hierarchical structures:

• Workspaces for different projects or clients
• Collections for grouping related tokens (colors, typography, spacing)
• Inheritance system for token relationships

Figma Plugin Integration

Seamless integration with Figma through our custom plugin:

• Import tokens directly from Figma variables
• Export tokens back to Figma for design consistency
• Real-time synchronization between design and code

Upcoming Features

🔮 What's Next

• Usage analytics to track token adoption
• Team collaboration features with role-based permissions
• Token validation and linting rules

TokenCraft aims to become a bridge between design and engineering, streamlining the way design decisions are codified and shared across teams.