Design systems: Penpot's tokens & self-hosting push

Related in Design systems

• Established

  Design tokens are still the backbone of Material Design

  Google's Material Design continues to push token-based theming as the default way to build flexible, on-brand components — it's the clearest real-world example of tokens done at scale. For juniors, understanding tokens beats memorising any one system's components.

  material.io · 10 Jan

• Established

  Material 3 Expressive: systems that flex, not just scale

  Google's Material 3 Expressive update layers more personality — motion, colour, shape — onto Material's existing token structure without a rebuild. It's a solid case study in how mature design systems evolve.

  design.google · 16 Apr

• Established

  Penpot puts native design tokens in its free tier

  Penpot now bundles native design tokens and shared component libraries into its open-source platform at no cost — a feature set that's often gated behind paid tiers elsewhere. Design tokens themselves are a well-established practice, just newly accessible without a licence fee.

  penpot.app · 1 Sep