DESIGN TOKENS FOR LINKS

Summary from the TLDR Design newsletter

Design systems face an architectural challenge when organizing hyperlinks within token structures, as links occupy a unique position between atomic elements that can exist independently or integrate into complex components. Two approaches emerge: treating links as semantic tokens (reusing text category tokens for flexibility and reusability) versus specific tokens (creating dedicated link namespaces for clarity and explicit purpose). The choice depends on system complexity, with semantic tokens being better suited for scalable systems that support multiple themes, while specific tokens work well for simpler systems with clearly differentiated link behaviors.