Design Token Lock — Single Source of Truth

Purpose

Solve the #1 recurring pain point in Figma-to-code: style drift. This skill extracts every design value from Figma, writes a versioned lockfile (design-tokens.lock.json), and generates Tailwind config + CSS custom properties from it. The lockfile becomes the single source of truth — tests assert against it, components reference it, and the verify-tokens script enforces it.

When to Use

• Phase 2 of the /build-from-figma pipeline (after figma-intake)
• Any time you need to extract or refresh design tokens from Figma
• When regenerating Tailwind config from a Figma file

Inputs

• Required: Figma file key (from build-spec.json or URL)
• Optional: .claude/plans/build-spec.json (for component-specific token scoping)

Process

Step 1: Extract Tokens from Figma

Call Figma MCP to get all design values:

1. get_variable_defs(fileKey)
   → Color variables, typography variables, spacing variables
   → Variable collections and modes (light/dark)

2. get_design_context(fileKey, nodeId) — for each top-level frame
   → Computed styles on actual elements
   → Auto-layout padding, gap, corner radius values
   → Text styles with exact font-family, size, weight, lineHeight

3. get_screenshot(fileKey, nodeId) — for color reference verification
   → Visual reference to cross-check extracted values

Step 2: Build Token Structure

Organize extracted values into a normalized structure. Every value must trace back to Figma.

Color tokens:

• Extract from Figma variables first (most accurate)
• Fall back to computed styles on elements if no variables defined
• Record: hex, rgb, hsl, and suggested Tailwind class name
• Group: primitives (raw values), semantic (roles), component-specific

Typography tokens:

• Font family with full fallback stack
• Size scale in px and rem (assuming 16px base)
• Weight values (numeric, not named)
• Line height as unitless ratio
• Letter spacing in em

Spacing tokens:

• Extract from auto-layout padding, gap, itemSpacing
• Map to Tailwind spacing scale where possible
• Record exact px values for custom entries

Effect tokens:

• Box shadows: offset-x, offset-y, blur, spread, color
• Border radius values per component
• Opacity values

Text content:

• Every visible text string in the design
• Keyed by component/section for easy lookup
• Includes: headings, body, labels, placeholders, button text, tooltips

Step 3: Write Lockfile

Write src/styles/design-tokens.lock.json:

{
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "generatedAt": "2026-03-16T12:00:00Z",
  "figmaFileKey": "abc123",
  "figmaLastModified": "2026-03-15T10:30:00Z",

  "colors": {
    "primitives": {
      "blue-50": { "hex": "#eff6ff", "rgb": "239, 246, 255", "tailwind": "blue-50" },
      "blue-500": { "hex": "#3b82f6", "rgb": "59, 130, 246", "tailwind": "blue-500" },
      "blue-600": { "hex": "#2563eb", "rgb": "37, 99, 235", "tailwind": "blue-600" },
      "gray-50": { "hex": "#f9fafb", "rgb": "249, 250, 251", "tailwind": "gray-50" },
      "gray-900": { "hex": "#111827", "rgb": "17, 24, 39", "tailwind": "gray-900" }
    },
    "semantic": {
      "primary": { "ref": "blue-600", "hex": "#2563eb", "tailwind": "primary" },
      "primary-foreground": { "ref": null, "hex": "#ffffff", "tailwind": "primary-foreground" },
      "background": { "ref": null, "hex": "#ffffff", "tailwind": "background" },
      "foreground": { "ref": "gray-900", "hex": "#111827", "tailwind": "foreground" },
      "muted": { "ref": "gray-50", "hex": "#f9fafb", "tailwind": "muted" },
      "destructive": { "ref": null, "hex": "#dc2626", "tailwind": "destructive" }
    },
    "component": {
      "card-bg": { "ref": null, "hex": "#ffffff", "tailwind": "card" },
      "input-border": { "ref": null, "hex": "#d1d5db", "tailwind": "input" }
    }
  },

  "typography": {
    "families": {
      "sans": { "value": "Inter", "fallback": "system-ui, -apple-system, sans-serif" },
      "heading": { "value": "Plus Jakarta Sans", "fallback": "system-ui, sans-serif" }
    },
    "scale": {
      "xs": { "px": 12, "rem": "0.75rem", "tailwind": "text-xs" },
      "sm": { "px": 14, "rem": "0.875rem", "tailwind": "text-sm" },
      "base": { "px": 16, "rem": "1rem", "tailwind": "text-base" },
      "lg": { "px": 18, "rem": "1.125rem", "tailwind": "text-lg" },
      "xl": { "px": 20, "rem": "1.25rem", "tailwind": "text-xl" },
      "2xl": { "px": 24, "rem": "1.5rem", "tailwind": "text-2xl" },
      "3xl": { "px": 30, "rem": "1.875rem", "tailwind": "text-3xl" },
      "4xl": { "px": 36, "rem": "2.25rem", "tailwind": "text-4xl" }
    },
    "weights": {
      "normal": 400,
      "medium": 500,
      "semibold": 600,
      "bold": 700
    },
    "lineHeights": {
      "tight": 1.25,
      "normal": 1.5,
      "relaxed": 1.75
    }
  },

  "spacing": {
    "scale": {
      "0.5": { "px": 2 },
      "1": { "px": 4 },
      "2": { "px": 8 },
      "3": { "px": 12 },
      "4": { "px": 16 },
      "5": { "px": 20 },
      "6": { "px": 24 },
      "8": { "px": 32 },
      "10": { "px": 40 },
      "12": { "px": 48 },
      "16": { "px": 64 }
    },
    "custom": {}
  },

  "borderRadius": {
    "sm": { "px": 4 },
    "md": { "px": 6 },
    "lg": { "px": 8 },
    "xl": { "px": 12 },
    "2xl": { "px": 16 },
    "full": { "px": 9999 }
  },

  "shadows": {
    "sm": { "value": "0 1px 2px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 0.05)" },
    "md": { "value": "0 4px 6px -1px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1), 0 2px 4px -2px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1)" },
    "lg": { "value": "0 10px 15px -3px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1), 0 4px 6px -4px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1)" }
  },

  "textContent": {
    "hero-heading": "Build faster with AI",
    "hero-subheading": "Ship production apps in days, not months",
    "cta-primary": "Get Started",
    "cta-secondary": "Learn More",
    "nav-home": "Home",
    "nav-pricing": "Pricing",
    "nav-docs": "Docs"
  }
}

Step 4: Generate Framework Config

The lockfile and token extraction above are framework-agnostic; only the config target changes. Resolve the build-spec's renderer manifest to select it:

node scripts/renderer-registry.js resolve <renderer> --json

Use manifest.language to choose the styling approach and manifest.template to locate where the framework's config lives:

• react / vue / svelte — Tailwind CSS-variable approach (the path documented here). Generate or update the Tailwind config (e.g. tailwind.config.ts, alongside manifest.template). Astro reuses this same React/Tailwind path (its language is react).
• react-native — NativeWind: generate the NativeWind/Tailwind config plus a StyleSheet token module for the Expo template instead of a web tokens.css.

The Figma pipeline targets React renderers (nextjs, vite), so in practice this resolves to the Tailwind path below.

Generate or update the Tailwind config from the lockfile:

// Read design-tokens.lock.json and map to Tailwind theme
// Every value references a CSS custom property
// Custom properties are defined in tokens.css (Step 5)

Rules:

• All color values use var(--color-*) references, not raw hex
• Typography references var(--font-*) for families
• Custom spacing values added to theme.extend.spacing
• Border radius and shadows mapped to theme.extend
• Never hardcode values directly in tailwind.config.ts

Step 5: Generate CSS Custom Properties

Generate src/styles/tokens.css from the lockfile:

/* Auto-generated from design-tokens.lock.json — do not edit manually */
:root {
  /* Color Primitives */
  --color-blue-50: #eff6ff;
  --color-blue-500: #3b82f6;
  /* ... */

  /* Color Semantic */
  --color-primary: var(--color-blue-600);
  --color-primary-foreground: #ffffff;
  --color-background: #ffffff;
  --color-foreground: var(--color-gray-900);
  /* ... */

  /* Typography */
  --font-sans: "Inter", system-ui, -apple-system, sans-serif;
  --font-heading: "Plus Jakarta Sans", system-ui, sans-serif;
  /* ... */

  /* Shadows */
  --shadow-sm: 0 1px 2px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 0.05);
  --shadow-md: 0 4px 6px -1px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1), 0 2px 4px -2px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1);
  /* ... */
}

Step 6: Validate Lockfile

After generation, verify:

1. Completeness: Every color/font/spacing used in the Figma file has a lockfile entry
2. Consistency: No duplicate values with different keys
3. Tailwind mapping: Every lockfile entry has a valid Tailwind class suggestion
4. Cross-reference: Spot-check 3-5 values against Figma screenshots

Report any gaps to the user before proceeding.

Output

Lockfile Update Flow

When the Figma file changes:

1. Re-run this skill
2. Diff new lockfile against existing
3. Show changes to user for approval
4. Regenerate tailwind.config.ts and tokens.css
5. Run scripts/verify-tokens.sh to catch any components that now drift

Error Handling

• No Figma variables: Fall back to computed styles from get_design_context. Warn user that extraction is less accurate.
• Color space mismatch: Figma uses sRGB internally. If values look wrong, re-extract with explicit sRGB conversion.
• Missing fonts: List required fonts and suggest @fontsource packages or Google Fonts links.

Integration

• Produces: design-tokens.lock.json, tailwind.config.ts, tokens.css
• Consumed by: tdd-from-figma (test assertions), figma-to-react-workflow (component generation), verify-tokens.sh (enforcement)
• Uses: Figma MCP (get_variable_defs, get_design_context, get_screenshot)