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UI Design System & Tokens

Purpose​

This document defines the project-specific UI design system constraints used by frontend development and AI-assisted implementation.

It acts as the single source of truth for visual consistency, accessibility-aligned design decisions, and UI predictability.

This document is project-specific and intentionally separate from global standards.

How to Use This Template​

  • Copy this file into your project as:
    • project/ui-design-system.md
  • Fill it out before significant frontend work starts.
  • Reference it explicitly in AI prompts and during frontend implementation.

1. Design System Strategy​

Design System Approach​

Select the primary approach:

  • Existing design system / component library
  • Custom lightweight design system
  • Hybrid (existing base + custom extensions)

Describe briefly:

  • Why this approach was chosen
  • What level of strictness is expected

2. Design Tokens​

Design tokens define the non-negotiable visual primitives.

Color Tokens​

  • Primary color(s):
  • Secondary / accent color(s):
  • Neutral / background colors:
  • Semantic colors (success, warning, error, info):

Accessibility notes (contrast expectations):

Typography Tokens​

  • Font families:
  • Base font size:
  • Heading scale:
  • Line height rules:

Spacing & Layout Tokens​

  • Base spacing unit:
  • Allowed spacing scale:
  • Layout grid or container rules:

Border & Shape Tokens​

  • Border radius rules:
  • Border widths:
  • Elevation / shadow usage (if any):

3. Component Rules​

Core Components​

List components that must be reused instead of reimplemented:

  • Buttons
  • Inputs / forms
  • Modals / dialogs
  • Navigation elements

Component Usage Rules​

  • When to create a new component vs reuse
  • Composition rules
  • Forbidden patterns (if any)

4. Interaction & Motion​

  • Animation / transition principles:
  • Motion limits (duration, easing):
  • Reduced-motion expectations:

5. Accessibility Baseline​

This project commits to:

  • Semantic markup
  • Keyboard accessibility
  • Visible focus indicators
  • Clear error messaging

Additional accessibility notes:

6. Responsiveness & Breakpoints​

  • Target devices:
  • Breakpoints (if defined):
  • Responsive behavior rules:

7. Performance Constraints​

  • Maximum acceptable UI complexity:
  • Known performance-sensitive areas:
  • Rendering constraints (if applicable):

8. Non-Goals​

Explicitly list what this design system does not try to solve.

9. Governance​

  • Owner of the design system:
  • How changes are proposed and approved:
  • Versioning strategy (if applicable):

Status​

  • Author:
  • Date:
  • Status: Draft / Active / Deprecated