Status of this Document

This section describes the status of this document at the time of its publication.

Current Publication

Version: 0.5.0
Status: Draft
Date: January 27, 2026
Editor: Mark Learst

Document Status

This specification is a Draft standard. See Specification Status for status definitions and compatibility promises.

What This Means

• The specification is under active development
• Breaking changes may occur in any version
• Feedback is actively sought from the community
• The specification is production-ready but may evolve

Next Steps

• Gather community feedback on current specification
• Validate implementation experience
• Refine based on real-world usage
• Move toward Candidate Standard status when ready

Patent Policy

This specification is subject to the Variable Design Standard (VDS) License, which includes:

• CC BY-ND 4.0 base license
• Standards Integrity Addendum for public use

The license permits implementation and sharing while preventing ecosystem fragmentation through derivative standards.

How to File Issues

Issues, questions, and feedback are welcome via:

• GitHub Issues: Create an issue
• Discussion: Use GitHub Discussions for questions and proposals

What to Include

When filing an issue, please include:

• Variable Design Standard (VDS) version (e.g., 0.5.0)
• Type of issue: Bug, question, proposal, documentation
• Description: Clear description of the issue or question
• Steps to reproduce (for bugs): How to reproduce the issue
• Expected behavior: What you expected to happen
• Actual behavior: What actually happened
• Context: Any relevant context or examples

Response Expectations

• Issues will be triaged and responded to as time permits
• Priority given to:
  • Specification errors or ambiguities
  • Conformance questions
  • Implementation blockers
• Community contributions are welcome and appreciated

Editors and Acknowledgments

Editor

Mark Learst - Editor and maintainer

Variable Design Standard (VDS) has been in development since 2017.

Contributors

See Contributors for a list of people who have contributed to Variable Design Standard (VDS).

Acknowledgments

Variable Design Standard (VDS) builds on:

• DTCG 2025.10 Format Specification - Base format specification
• Style Dictionary - Output generation tool
• Figma Variables - Design tool integration
• Tokens Studio - Design tool integration
• The design systems community for feedback and validation

Document History

Version history and release notes are documented in the Change Log.

Recent Versions

• 0.5.0 (Current) - Cadence alignment, JSON-as-API framing, and role naming update
• 0.4.0 - Documentation hardening and DTCG compliance improvements

Future Versions

See Change Log for planned future versions and roadmap.

Feedback

Feedback on this specification is welcome and encouraged. Please file issues or start discussions to share your thoughts, questions, or implementation experiences.

Conformance

To claim Variable Design Standard (VDS) compliance, see Conformance for requirements and how to report compliance.

License

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License with the Standards Integrity Addendum.

See License for full license text and terms.