Implementation
What are design tokens and brand.md used for?
Design tokens store repeatable values such as colors and type roles. A brand.md file explains the identity in words. Together, they help a team implement a brand without inventing new choices on every page.
Jared Christiansen
Liam Wu
Tokens give decisions stable names
A color value alone does not explain its job. A token can name the background, body text, primary action or border. That role helps the team use the same decision across several components.
Keep the brand values separate from one component’s layout. An article page and a checkout can have different structures while using the same text and action colors.
Written guidance covers the decisions a number cannot
A brand.md file can explain the central idea, voice, imagery and motion. It should name the actual choices and give examples. “Make it premium” is less useful than a rule about type roles, spacing or how the product should be shown.
Sigil’s Book includes both design tokens and brand.md. The files complement the visual book; they do not make every implementation choice or automatically install the brand in an application.
Use the files as a coordinated handoff
Inspect the actual token format before mapping it into the application’s theme. Confirm that the fonts and asset paths exist. Keep accessible contrast and responsive behavior in the implementation review.
When an AI coding tool consumes brand.md, ask it to follow the approved identity rather than redesign it. Review the resulting page against the book and the real user task.
- Locate the delivered tokens and written guidance.
- Map the named values into the application’s theme.
- Install the delivered fonts and logo files.
- Review representative pages for consistency and readability.
Common questions
- Can I give brand.md to a coding assistant?
- Yes. Use it as brand context alongside the application’s existing architecture and review the result.
- Do design tokens build the website for me?
- No. They supply reusable design values. Your application still needs layout, behavior and verification.