Since 2019, the W3C Design Tokens Community Group has been developing an open standard for describing design tokens. Participants include representatives from Salesforce, Adobe, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. When this standard becomes an official Recommendation, it fundamentally shifts power dynamics in the design tool industry – away from proprietary formats, toward an open ecosystem.

Why a Standard Is Necessary

The design system industry has an interoperability problem. Figma stores styles and variables in a proprietary format. Tokens Studio uses a JSON format not compatible with Style Dictionary. Every tool invents its own way to describe design decisions.

For organizations this means: token definitions must be maintained separately for each tool. Switching from Figma to Penpot requires a complete redefinition of all tokens. Design decisions – an organization’s most valuable digital asset – are coupled to a specific tool.

The W3C standard solves this through a common format that all tools can read and write. Tokens are defined once and used everywhere.

The Standardization Process

The Design Tokens Community Group was founded in 2019. The specification is currently at Community Group Draft stage – basic token types are defined, composite types and advanced features are still being specified. Companies involved bring different interests: Salesforce (Lightning), Google (Material), Microsoft (Fluent), and Adobe (Spectrum) each have design systems with millions of users.

What the Standard Defines (and Doesn’t)

The spec defines: a JSON-based format with defined token types, a reference mechanism (aliasing) via curly braces, group hierarchy with type inheritance, and composite types for complex values.

What it deliberately does not define: naming conventions, build pipeline details, platform-specific output formats, or synchronization workflows.

Impact on the Tool Landscape

When the standard becomes a Recommendation: design tools will need to offer import/export in standard format, build tools are already prepared, and token management platforms will advertise standard conformance as a feature.

Aspect
Without Standard
With W3C Standard
Tool switch
Token redefinition needed
Import/Export
Multi-tool
Manual synchronization
Shared source
Vendor lock-in
High (proprietary formats)
Low (open format)
Long-term maintenance
Vendor-dependent
Guaranteed by standard

Key Takeaways

  • The W3C DTCG has been working since 2019 on an open standard with participation from Salesforce, Adobe, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.
  • The standard defines a JSON format with token types, aliasing, and group hierarchy – deliberately without naming conventions or build pipeline details.
  • Style Dictionary 4 and Cobalt UI already support the format natively – organizations can start today.
  • The standard makes token definitions portable: tool switches without token rebuilds.
  • Those documenting design decisions in W3C format invest in long-term independence from proprietary tool ecosystems.