The Working Approach
Design Token Audit examines how a product uses an existing token system. It looks for hardcoded colors, spacing and other visual values, checks whether the right token tier is used and identifies redundant or deprecated tokens. The aim is a concrete inventory of discrepancies that a team can migrate.
The source distinguishes coverage, consistency and gaps. A value may bypass a token, use the wrong semantic role or expose a legitimate need that the current system does not cover. Keeping those cases separate prevents a cleanup from blindly replacing every literal value with whichever token happens to look closest.
Expected Deliverables
- An audit summary describing token adoption and the observed scope.
- A categorized inventory of hardcoded values and suggested token replacements.
- Recommendations for missing tokens and a prioritized migration plan.
From Brief to Review
- 01Inventory the visual values
Read both relevant design files and implementation code. Extract colors, spacing, typography and other properties, then group them into comparable categories.
- 02Map values to the current system
Match usage to existing tokens and their tiers. Flag hardcoded values, inconsistent roles, redundant definitions and references to deprecated tokens.
- 03Separate gaps from drift
Identify cases where a new token may be needed instead of forcing a poor replacement. Rank findings by frequency and impact, with high-impact color and spacing issues first.
- 04Plan the migration
Produce an actionable replacement inventory and recommendations. State what was inspected so later audits can compare adoption using a consistent scope.