Concepts
Working definitions for the vocabulary used across this site.
A7
Accessibilityjust nowThe practice of designing and coding interfaces to be usable by people with a wide range of auditory, motor, cognitive, and visual disabilities.Accidental signifierjust nowNo description yetAdaptabilityjust nowThe system's resilience in adjusting to new contexts, theming requirements, or unforeseen use cases without requiring a fundamental redesign of the Design system.Affordancejust nowNo description yetAgentjust nowNo description yetAnti affordancejust nowNo description yetAtomic designjust nowA methodology that breaks interfaces down into fundamental building blocks (atoms) which are assembled into increasingly complex structures (molecules, organisms, templates, pages) to create scalable systems.C6
Componentjust nowA reusable, standardized interface element-not a one-off, unique implementation-that operates by encapsulating code, style, and behavior into a single package to ensure Consistency and efficiency across a product.Component libraryjust nowA centralized repository of pre-coded, reusable UI elements-such as buttons, inputs, and navigations-that serves as a practical toolkit for developers to assemble consistent interfaces efficiently without rebuilding common patterns from scratch.Conceptual modeljust nowNo description yetConsistencyjust nowThe disciplined adherence to established visual and functional patterns across an entire product to reduce cognitive load and increase predictability for the user.Constraintjust nowNo description yetCross platformjust nowThe ability of a Design system to deliver a cohesive experience and shared resources across distinct environments like Web, iOS, and Android.D5
Design systemjust nowA comprehensive ecosystem of standards, Documentation, and reusable Component that serves as the single source of truth to enable teams to build Consistency, Scalability products efficiently.Design tokenjust now(Design ops) A nickname for a design decision.Discoverabilityjust nowNo description yetDiscoverablejust nowNo description yetDocumentationjust nowThe comprehensive written guidelines and code references-often hosted on platforms like Storybook or Zeroheight-that explain how to use the system's Component correctly.E3
Experiencejust nowNo description yetExperience designjust nowNo description yetExternal signifierjust nowNo description yetF3
Feedbackjust nowNo description yetFigmajust nowA browser-based, collaborative vector design tool used for creating User interface (UI), Prototyping, and managing Design system in real-time.Frameworkjust now(Design tool, Frontend technology) A pre-written package of code (HTML/CSS/JS) that provides ready-made UI components to speed up development.G3
Governancejust nowThe set of established protocols, roles, and review processes that control how a Design system is maintained, updated, and evolved to prevent chaos.Grid systemjust nowA structural framework of intersecting vertical and horizontal lines that organizes content alignment to ensure visual order and Responsive design across different screen sizes.Groupingjust nowNo description yetH2
Handoffjust nowThe specific workflow phase where designers deliver finalized specifications, assets, and redlines to developers for implementation.Human centered design hcdjust nowNo description yetI4
Industrial designjust nowNo description yetIntentional signifierjust nowNo description yetInteraction designjust nowNo description yetIntuition over instructionjust nowNo description yetM3
Mappingjust nowNo description yetMental modeljust nowNo description yetModularityjust nowThe architectural principle of building interfaces from distinct, independent units that can be combined, swapped, or reused without breaking the larger system.N2
Natural mappingjust nowNo description yetNorman doorjust nowA door with confusing usability features and signs, named after Don Norman.P5
Perceived affordancejust nowNo description yetPrototypingjust nowThe creation of an interactive simulation of the User interface (UI) to test user flows, animations, and logic without writing production code.Proximityjust nowNo description yetPsychologyjust nowThe scientific study of the human mind and its functions.Psychopathologyjust nowThe study of mental illness.S5
Scalabilityjust nowThe capacity of a Design system to accommodate significant growth in product complexity, team size, or user base without compromising performance or stability.Signifierjust nowNo description yetSpatial correspondencejust nowNo description yetStyle dictionaryjust nowA build system that automatically transforms platform-agnostic Design token (JSON) into platform-specific code (CSS, Swift, Android XML) to ensure synchronization.System imagejust nowNo description yetU4
Understandingjust nowNo description yetUsability testingjust nowAn empirical research method where representative users perform specific tasks to identify friction points and validate that the design meets user needs.User experience uxjust nowThe holistic quality of a user's entire interaction with a product, encompassing how intuitive, efficient, and satisfying the journey feels to the user rather than just how the User interface (UI) looks.User interface uijust nowThe visual and interactive bridge between a human and a computer, consisting of the specific screens, buttons, and graphical elements that allow a user to perceive and control a digital product.V2
Version controljust nowA system (like Git or Figma's version history) that records changes to files over time, allowing teams to track history, manage branches, and revert updates.Visual hierarchyjust nowThe strategic arrangement and styling of elements-using size, color, and contrast-to guide the user's eye sequentially through the most important information.