Product
Why I stopped using variables for everything
Tokenizing every value in a file felt rigorous. It was actually just indirection with extra steps.
The habit
For a while, every spacing value, every one-off color, every corner radius in my files became a variable. It looked disciplined. In practice it meant every design review turned into archaeology. Three clicks to find out that "spacing/lg" resolved to a number I could've just typed.
Where I landed
Tokens earn their keep when a value is shared across many surfaces and needs to move together: brand color, type scale, the handful of spacing steps that actually repeat. Everything else is faster, clearer, and just as maintainable as a literal value sitting where you can see it.
Indirection is a tool, not a virtue. I only reach for it now when something will actually need to change in one place and propagate, not by default, just in case.