What is Semantic Aliasing?

Semantic aliasing is a method used in design systems to assign meaningful names to design tokens like colors, typography, and spacing. Instead of labeling a color as “Blue-500” or “Gray-200,” semantic aliasing names it based on function, such as “Primary Button Background” or “Card Border Color.” This approach makes it easier for designers and developers to understand the purpose of each design token and apply them consistently throughout a system.

For example, if a company decides to change its primary brand color from blue to green, updating a single alias like “Primary Button Background” ensures that every instance of that color across the system updates automatically. This prevents the need for manually changing each individual use case, making the design system far more efficient and scalable.

Categories of Semantic Aliasing

Semantic aliasing is commonly applied to several types of design tokens, each serving a distinct role in a design system. Text colors are used for body text, headings, and links, helping maintain readability and consistency across typography styles. Background colors define the areas behind content, such as panels, cards, or sections, ensuring clear visual separation and structured layouts. Border colors are used for outlines and dividers, making it easy to distinguish between different sections of a page or components.

Action colors are assigned to interactive elements, such as buttons and links, ensuring that users can quickly identify clickable elements. Feedback colors help communicate system status, with distinct shades for errors, warnings, and successes. Brand colors reinforce a company’s identity, ensuring a strong and recognizable presence throughout the UI. Lastly, state colors indicate different interaction states, such as active, disabled, or hover effects, allowing for a clear and intuitive user experience.

Rather than naming colors based on their shade, semantic aliasing names them based on their function, making the system easier to understand, use, and maintain.

Why Semantic Aliasing Improves Maintainability

One of the biggest benefits of semantic aliasing is its ability to improve maintainability. Instead of assigning colors directly to elements, designers use aliases that connect a color to multiple UI components. For example, the color “gray-200” might be assigned to both “background-accent” and “tab-background-default.” This means that if the system ever requires a color change, it can be done once at the alias level, ensuring updates apply everywhere without the need for manual adjustments.

By using semantic aliasing, colors and design tokens are given a meaningful context rather than existing as isolated values. Without it, each UI element would rely on raw color values, making future updates tedious and increasing the risk of inconsistencies. With aliasing, the system remains flexible, adaptable, and scalable.

When to Use Component-Specific Semantics

In a well-established design system, using component-specific semantic names can further improve clarity. Instead of generalizing color names, assigning labels like “button-primary-color” or “input-border-focus” makes it immediately clear what a design token is for. This specificity ensures consistency across a system and simplifies collaboration between designers and developers.

For example, a button component consists of multiple design elements: a border, a background fill, and a text field. Each of these elements can be assigned specific tokens like “button-border-color” or “button-text-color.” When the same button is used across different sections, any necessary changes can be applied at the component level without affecting other elements in the design system.

However, for smaller or early-stage design systems, it may be better to start with broader semantic names. Overcomplicating the naming structure too soon can lead to unnecessary complexity, making it harder to scale. A good approach is to begin with simple naming conventions and refine them as the system matures.

Future-Proofing with Semantic Aliases

Using semantic aliasing helps ensure a design system is built to last. By naming variables based on their function rather than their raw value, teams can easily update designs without disrupting the entire system. For example, instead of using “gray-200” for a tab’s default background, naming it “tab-background-default” keeps the purpose clear. If the brand’s design language changes in the future and the default tab background needs to shift from gray to blue, only the alias needs to be updated, while the structure remains intact.

This method also enhances code readability. Developers working with a system can instantly recognize a variable like “tab-background-default” as the color for a tab’s background, rather than trying to decipher what “gray-200” refers to. By using clear and descriptive names, semantic aliasing bridges the gap between design and development, making collaboration smoother and reducing confusion.

Managing Shared Colors Across Multiple States

Sometimes, the same color is used across multiple UI states. Instead of duplicating color tokens, semantic aliasing allows teams to define shared values in an organized way. For example, a light gray background might be used for both an active tab and a default tab state. Rather than assigning “gray-200” to both, a shared alias like “tab-background” can be created. This way, if the active and default states need to be adjusted separately in the future, they can still be modified independently without disrupting other design elements.

For teams looking for greater flexibility, multi-layered aliasing can also be used. In this setup, “gray-200” is first mapped to “surface-default,” which is then mapped to “tab-background-default” or “tab-background-active.” This approach is commonly found in large-scale design systems where maintaining a structured hierarchy is crucial. However, for smaller projects, keeping alias structures simple is often the best approach to avoid unnecessary complexity.

Best Practices for Semantic Aliasing in Figma

Figma provides powerful tools for managing design tokens through variables. When building a design system, it’s helpful to create primitive variables first (such as base colors like “gray-200”) and then layer semantic aliases on top (such as “button-background-default”). By structuring design tokens this way, teams can maintain flexibility while ensuring consistency across components.

Additionally, using Figma’s Dev Mode can help streamline collaboration between designers and developers. Instead of manually annotating every design decision, Dev Mode allows engineers to inspect components and see which design tokens are applied to each element. This reduces friction during handoff and ensures that the development team always has access to the most up-to-date token values.

For better organization, teams can also set up separate Figma pages for primitives, semantic variables, and components. Having a dedicated space for each category improves discoverability and makes it easier to reference design tokens when needed.

Balancing Simplicity and Scalability

When implementing semantic aliasing, teams should consider the balance between simplicity and scalability. For fast-moving projects or small teams, broad naming conventions work best. Using names like “button-background” instead of “button-primary-background” reduces complexity and speeds up design workflows. However, for larger organizations or multi-product teams, a more detailed structure is necessary. This might involve using a multi-layered aliasing approach to categorize tokens by both component and state.

For teams that work closely with developers, aligning design token names with component-specific naming conventions can improve communication. Instead of a generic name like “primary-background,” specifying “button-background-primary” ensures it is clearly associated with a particular element. This approach prevents ambiguity and reduces errors when implementing designs in code.

Regardless of the approach, teams should regularly review their aliasing strategy to ensure it remains clear and scalable. Design systems evolve over time, and maintaining a balance between structure and flexibility is key to long-term success.

Final Thought

Semantic aliasing is a powerful technique that enhances the scalability, readability, and maintainability of design systems. By naming design tokens based on their function rather than appearance, teams can create a system that remains adaptable over time. Whether working with a small or large-scale design system, applying semantic aliases ensures every element remains purposeful and easy to manage.

If you’d like to discuss this topic further or explore how I can help you build one for your project or your team, feel free to reach out at hello@anitachang.com. I’d love to hear from you!