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[polaris.shopify.com] Missing Design Variables and Inconsistent Styling in New Figma Polaris UI Kit #14141

@annabel-createsome

Description

@annabel-createsome

Missing Design Variables and Inconsistent Styling in New Figma Polaris UI Kit

Description

I've been working with the new Figma Polaris UI Kit and have noticed a significant number of missing variables and inconsistencies in the established styles. This prevents us from adopting a fully token-based, semantic design workflow, as intended by the new Figma features and suggested by the Polaris documentation.

Specific Issues

  1. Missing Sizing Variables:

    • The current UI kit appears to only contain Color Variables (tokens).
    • The Polaris documentation (specifically on design tokens/variables) indicates that Sizing variables (e.g., spacing, border-radius, or size tokens) should also be available. These are currently missing.
  2. Missing Effect Styles:

    • Effects (such as shadows used for elevation/depth) are currently not defined as Styles. They appear to be applied directly to components.
    • To maintain consistency and allow for easy global updates, these should be set up as reusable Effect Styles.
  3. Font/Typography Setup is Outdated:

    • The typography is still defined using traditional Text Styles.
    • For a modern, scalable design system, it would be much more beneficial to migrate these to Typography Variables (Semantic Tokens) for better management, particularly regarding responsive design and accessibility.

Expected Behavior

All design primitives (Color, Typography, Sizing, and Effects) should be defined using the latest Figma Variables and Styles (where appropriate, like for Effects) to align with a modern token-based architecture.

Impact

The current state significantly hinders our ability to:

  • Apply the Polaris design language efficiently and consistently across large-scale projects.
  • Utilize advanced features like theming and mode switching.
  • Ensure accurate handoff and implementation with development teams expecting a complete design token system.

Environment

  • UI Kit Version: Fall 2025
  • Platform: Figma

Thank you for looking into this! A complete variables library is crucial for full adoption of the new kit.

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