I really like that idea of utilizing styles in the next chain of an atomic structure, holding multiple variables like you said. I think that could be really cool to see. Cause yea, at this point, and I’m just thinking in terms of colors, choosing between a style and a variable seems either redundant (if you do both) or just a matter of preference. Though I do think that it’s only variables that can leverage the “modes” layer of functionality, which is a solid justification for their use. I also feel like variables align more with a programming mentality, which I think could have added benefits in ‘handoff’ or even in just forming a mental model of a design system.
Thanks for your input!