Responsive Typography Tokens

1. Introduction

Responsive typography tokens are a key component of design systems, enabling consistent and scalable text styling across devices and viewports. They provide a systematic approach to defining font sizes, line heights, and other text-related properties that adapt to various screen sizes.

2. What are Typography Tokens?

Typography tokens are predefined values that define various text properties in a design system. These tokens ensure consistency in typography across different platforms and components.

3. Responsive Typography Tokens

Responsive typography tokens adapt text properties based on the viewport size. This approach enhances readability and user experience on various devices.

Example of Responsive Typography Tokens:

{
    "fontSize": {
        "small": "12px",
        "medium": "16px",
        "large": "20px",
        "responsive": {
            "mobile": "14px",
            "tablet": "16px",
            "desktop": "18px"
        }
    },
    "lineHeight": {
        "small": "1.4",
        "medium": "1.5",
        "large": "1.6",
        "responsive": {
            "mobile": "1.5",
            "tablet": "1.6",
            "desktop": "1.7"
        }
    }
}
        

4. Implementing Typography Tokens

To implement responsive typography tokens in a CSS-in-JS format or preprocessors like Sass, follow these steps:

1. Define your typography tokens in a JSON file or a similar format.
2. Utilize a CSS preprocessor or a CSS-in-JS library to map these tokens to CSS classes.
3. Apply the tokens in your component styles based on the viewport size.

Example Implementation in CSS:

@media (max-width: 600px) {
    body {
        font-size: 14px; /* mobile */
        line-height: 1.5; 
    }
}

@media (min-width: 601px) and (max-width: 1200px) {
    body {
        font-size: 16px; /* tablet */
        line-height: 1.6; 
    }
}

@media (min-width: 1201px) {
    body {
        font-size: 18px; /* desktop */
        line-height: 1.7; 
    }
}
        

5. Best Practices

When working with responsive typography tokens, consider the following best practices:

• Use relative units (e.g., em, rem) for scalability.
• Test typography on multiple devices and screen sizes.
• Implement a fallback mechanism for older browsers.

6. FAQ