Properly Organize Your Figma Variables

Well-organized Figma Variables are essential for optimal export quality and maintainable design systems. We provide organizational principles, including the Single Outlet Principle, to effectively manage complex multi-mode variables.

Start with Our Templates

We provide a Figma Variables template, including colors, spacing, fonts, and other variables, with support for multiple modes including theme, brand, device, and density modes, and can be perfectly exported as shadcn/ui themes or Tailwind CSS or CSS Variables.

Foundation Principles

Master these core principles to build robust, scalable variable systems that work seamlessly with Variables Xporter:

These principles cover essential elements including naming conventions, hierarchical structure, and grouping strategies that ensure your variables export cleanly and maintain consistency across your design system.

Design Token Organization Strategies

Different Design Token types require specific organization approaches. Follow these proven strategies for each token category:

Key organization points

Collection design

Organize collection structures according to the Single Outlet Principle:

• Main collection: Contains all externally provided variables, serving as a unified outlet
• Mode collections: Only store variables that need to change across different modes
• Reference relationships: Connect corresponding variables between the main collection and mode collections through references

Naming conventions

• Strictly follow Tailwind CSS configuration naming structure
• Use slash / for variable grouping
• Properly use the DEFAULT keyword for base values, facilitating clear variable hierarchy

Practical tips

• Regularly check variable structure to ensure clear reference relationships
• Add descriptions to important variables for team understanding
• Avoid overly complex nested structures
• Maintain consistency and predictability in naming

Following these organization strategies ensures your Design Tokens are maintainable, scalable, and export perfectly every time.