By: Seun Alakanse
In a bustling tech company in Lagos, the design team gathered around a screen for what seemed like just another sprint review. Yet, beneath the usual back-and-forth, a quiet revolution was unfolding one that would reshape how product-led companies deliver exceptional digital experiences to their users. The design lead pointed to a button on the company’s website. A minor change, they all thought, until she revealed that by altering a single line of code, they could update every button across the platform’s web and mobile interfaces instantly. The room buzzed. This was no ordinary design tweak. They were witnessing the power of a token-based design system in action.
This kind of seamless efficiency is no longer a futuristic dream but a reality for companies that have embraced the evolution of design. In the world of product development, consistency and speed are critical. Token-based design systems offer a solution so simple, yet so powerful, that it is transforming companies around the globe—enabling them to deliver faster, more cohesive, and user-centred products.
At its heart, a token-based design system is built on a simple idea: break the visual elements of a product down into tiny, reusable units known as “tokens.” These tokens can represent colours, fonts, spacing, or even the way shadows appear on buttons. But more than just labels for these properties, tokens are live elements of a product’s DNA. When a company decides to change a brand colour, it no longer needs to trawl through hundreds of lines of code or update multiple design files. With token-based systems, a single tweak ripples through the entire product ecosystem instantly.
Imagine a world where design consistency isn’t a battle, but an assurance. Picture a scenario where a product designer working for a fintech startup in Yaba wants to update the spacing between text and images on the company’s web app, mobile app, and customer portal. Before token-based systems, this would have been a tedious, manual process, prone to inconsistencies. Now, with a token-based design system, a single change can be reflected across all platforms effortlessly. This not only saves time but ensures that the user experience remains seamless, no matter where customers engage with the product.
For many product-led companies, this revolution in design is already yielding immense benefits. Take the global tech giants, for instance. Few know that behind Google’s sleek interface or Shopify’s intuitive user experience lies a sophisticated network of design tokens. These tokens act as the glue that binds the entire product ecosystem together, ensuring consistency across millions of user touchpoints. Every pixel and every element speaks the same design language because, with tokens, design decisions are centralised, yet scalable.
In Nigeria, where tech innovation is booming, companies are beginning to embrace this methodology. As startups grow and scale, keeping a consistent brand identity becomes a daunting challenge. However, with token-based design systems, product-led companies can ensure that their interfaces from websites to mobile apps don’t just look cohesive but also evolve gracefully as new features are added or the brand identity shifts. Yet, it’s not just about consistency. Speed plays a crucial role in this new era of product development. In a competitive landscape where time-to-market can make or break a product, token-based design systems provide a significant advantage. Companies no longer waste weeks coordinating between design and development teams to implement changes. Instead, tokens allow them to move with agility, focusing their efforts on creating meaningful user experiences rather than wrestling with the complexities of design management.
Such a system sounds mechanical or cold, reducing design to a series of rigid rules. But the beauty of token-based design lies in its flexibility. It allows creativity to flourish by freeing designers from repetitive tasks. With tokens handling the heavy lifting of consistency, designers can focus on what they do best: solving problems and crafting intuitive experiences.
Developers, too, benefit from this system, as they can implement designs with confidence, knowing that every change is aligned with the company’s broader vision.
In the fast-paced world of digital product design, where every update can affect millions of users, token-based systems safeguard against chaos. They are the invisible scaffolding behind the apps and websites we use every day, quietly ensuring that our interactions feel seamless, and our experiences cohesive.
The story of token-based design systems is one of innovation, collaboration, and efficiency. It’s a story that many Nigerian companies are now beginning to tell as they recognise the immense potential this methodology holds for scaling products without sacrificing quality or speed.
Just as the digital revolution transformed the way we interact with technology, the token revolution is transforming the way companies build it. For product-led companies whether a fintech startup in Lagos or a global powerhouse like Google this approach is no longer optional. It is the key to thriving in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
The design team in Lagos didn’t just update a button that day; they unlocked a new way of thinking about product development. As token-based design systems continue to gain momentum, the possibilities for innovation in Nigerian tech are boundless. It’s not just about keeping up with the world’s biggest companies; it’s about leading the charge into a future where design and development are as agile as the products they create.
Alakanse is a senior product designer at SeamlessHR
and then