Variable Governance
Variable Governance
Governance is how you keep a token change from turning into a cleanup project across components.
The rules here treat variable names and references like an API: changes are reviewed, and breaking changes are called out.
The contract rules (schema and validation expectations) live in Variable Contract.
Principles
- Variable names are an API.
- Prefer semantic aliases for UI usage.
- Keep base scales and palettes unchanged unless you plan a migration.
- Treat variable JSON (Design Tokens JSON) as the contract.
What good looks like
- Designers can work with variables in Figma without creating duplicate values.
- Engineers can consume variables via generated outputs (CSS variables, TypeScript) with minimal manual wiring.
- Variable changes are reviewed, versioned, and communicated.
Roles
- Designer - Creates variables in Figma
- Design Engineer - Bridges design and development, owns contract
- Frontend Developer - Consumes variables in code
Scope
Covers:
- Variable categories (base, alias, component)
- Naming rules
- Change control and semantic versioning
- Accessibility constraints and checks
- Role definitions and responsibilities