Semantic tokens are the foundation of your design language. They capture intent and provide a consistent layer that other mappings can build from. This activity helps you surface what semantic tokens you need, how they should be structured, and how brand or context mappings will feed from them. Use this when creating tokens for the first time or when inconsistent naming is slowing teams down.
How to
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Audit existing tokens
Run an Audit across colour, spacing, typography, motion, and brand applications. Capture overlaps and variations.
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Optional: Document primitives
Record the raw values available to you, such as the full colour palette. These may form a base layer that semantics pull from, though not every token type needs them.
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Anchor on semantics
Identify the key semantic tokens your system needs, such as color-background-success or spacing-large. Treat these as the stable foundation for all mappings.
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Map brand and context layers
Show how semantics link to brand specific values or context specific needs, such as marketing vs product. Use the Cross-Brand Consolidation tactic if you need to align tokens across multiple brands.
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Draft naming rules
Agree on a predictable pattern for semantics and mappings. Use Match That Token to test whether names feel logical and usable across teams.
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Document and refine
Capture the structure with mapped examples. Publish it to your guidance site and refine it as the system expands across brands or platforms.