Design a spacing and layout token system for a Figma design

Figma Spacing System Skill

Produces a complete spacing and layout token system — the foundation that makes a design system consistent and developer handoff unambiguous.

Required Inputs

• Platform (iOS / Android / Web / Multi-platform)
• Base unit (4px / 8px — default to 8px)
• Design system name (for token naming)
• Component density (compact / standard / comfortable)
• Grid requirements (or "derive from platform standard")

Output Structure

1. Base Unit

[4px or 8px] with rationale. All values must be multiples.

2. Spacing Scale

Token	Value	Use case
spacing.none	0px	Removing space intentionally
spacing.xs	4/8px	Icon padding, tight labels
spacing.sm	8/12px	Internal component padding compact
spacing.md	12/16px	Internal component padding standard
spacing.lg	16/24px	Section padding, card internal
spacing.xl	24/32px	Between components
spacing.2xl	32/48px	Section separation
spacing.3xl	48/64px	Page-level breaks
spacing.4xl	64/96px	Hero sections

3. Layout Grid

Mobile (375px): 4 columns, margin [value], gutter [value] Tablet (768px): 8 columns, margin [value], gutter [value] Desktop (1440px): 12 columns, margin [value], gutter [value], max content width [value]

4. Component Spacing Conventions

Context	Token	Example
Button horizontal padding	spacing.md	Left/right
Button vertical padding	spacing.sm	Top/bottom
Card internal padding	spacing.lg	All sides
Input padding	spacing.sm vertical, spacing.md horizontal
Icon gap from label	spacing.xs
Section gap	spacing.xl

5. Figma Implementation

1. Create SPACING page documenting each token visually
2. Resources > Variables > create Number collection named Spacing
3. Apply variables to Auto Layout padding/gap values
4. Share token names with engineers as-is or via Tokens Studio

6. Anti-Patterns to Avoid

• Values not on the scale (13px, 22px) — round to nearest token
• Absolute pixel values in components instead of tokens
• Mixing 4px and 8px base units in the same product

Quality Checks

• All token values are multiples of the base unit
• Scale covers xs through 4xl
• Grid defined for all relevant breakpoints
• Component conventions cover common decisions
• Figma implementation steps included

Anti-Patterns

• Do not create a spacing scale with arbitrary values — the scale must follow a consistent mathematical ratio (e.g. 4px base, 8-4-2 system)
• Do not define spacing tokens without Figma implementation instructions — token names alone are not actionable
• Do not create a spacing system that doesn't account for component-level spacing conventions — global tokens and component usage must both be documented
• Do not skip grid definitions — spacing without a grid system is incomplete layout foundation documentation
• Do not produce a spacing system that ignores responsive behaviour — define how spacing adapts across breakpoints

Example Trigger Phrases

• "Create a spacing system for our Figma design system"
• "Define our spacing tokens for Figma"
• "Set up a grid and spacing scale for [product]"
• "What spacing values should we use in our design system?"
• "Help me build the layout foundation for our Figma file"