Supernova glossary

Learn the lingo!

 

Designs systems can come with a complicated vocabulary, so we've defined some common terms found in Supernova (or related integrated tools).

A

Active exporter

The enabled exporter for a particular action

Asset

Exportable components (eg. icons)

Approval workflow

Track documentation pages by status to ensure changes are reviewed

Automatic update / Autoupdate

Checks for changes from your design system files periodically (from Figma)

B

Base value

The core value assigned to a token, before any overrides (eg. theme values) are applied.

Block

Any content you add to your documentation.

Brand

Variations of a single design system, assigned to different brands.

Build

A single run of a specific exporter that points to a specific design system and version.

C

Changes

Documentation pages that have been edited but not yet published.

Code preview

Preview the output of running an exporter.

Collection

In Figma, collections and groups are used to organize variables.

Component

A collection of smaller aspects of design elements, used in UX and design patterns throughout your brand or product.

Current draft

The default version of your design system/documentation that is currently being edited or in progress.

Custom exporter

Exporters that are created from scratch or customized versions of existing exporters added to the workspace.

Custom properties

Properties that can be added to tokens and components.

D

Default documentation exporter

The default exporter for the documentation site.

Default domain

The URL for accessing for your documentation site.

Data source (or design source)

An integration that acts as a source for the design system (Figma file, Tokens Studio, Figma Variables Sync plugin).

Design system

A set of reusable components, styles, and tokens guided by standards that are used to build products or applications, and instruction for how they should be used in design.

Design system data

Anything you have added to your design system in Supernova (tokens, components, assets or fonts).

Documentation

Documentation contains all the information about a design system.

Documentation editor

The edit mode of the documentation site.

Documentation exporter

An exporter for the documentation site.

Documentation preview

A preview of your documentation site before it is published.

Draft

Edit multiple documentation pages simultaneously as drafts

E

Event

When a specified event happens inside the design system, a pipeline will run.

Exporter

A package that transforms design system data into production code.

F

Figma component

A component imported from Figma.

Font source

The source file of a font that is used in your design system.

Fonts

Groups of text characters in specific styles and sizes used in your design system.

Frames

A container for components or areas within your design in Figma.

G

Guidelines

Rules and examples of best practices in your design system (for example, Do’s and Don’ts).

I

Import

Design system content that is imported from a data source into Supernova.

Import checklist

A number of criteria that must be met in order for your content to be importable.

Import summary

A summary of the content that was imported, imported with issues, or failed to import.

Import updates

A button that triggers Supernova to import all changes that have been made and published in your data source files.

Integration

An external application or platform connected to Supernova.

L

Last updated / Latest updates

A timestamp or summary of the last updates for a certain element in your design system.

Latest version

The most recently published version of your design system / documentation.

M

Mention

Mention (@) a user in the documentation editor to notify them directly.

Mode(s)

In Figma, different contexts for variables that can be applied to designs.

O

Override

When a theme value is layered on top of a matching token’s values in the design system.

P

Pipeline

A code pipeline that automatically watches for events in the design system, runs a specified exporter, and delivers the resulting code to your chosen destination.

Profile

Your personal Supernova profile.

Properties

Add information to components or design tokens in your design system.

Property type

Type of value that a property can have.

Property value

Value of property applied to a token or component.

R

Reference

The link between a referenced token’s value and the value of the token it was created from.

Role

Users can be assigned a specific role that allows them certain permissions.

S

Seat

If a team member in your workspace has a role other than Viewer or Billing, they occupy a paid seat.

Selective publishing

Publish specific pages of your documentation only.

Scope

Which parts of your data sources are imported to your design system, and what they’re being used for.

Selected brand

The brand you would like to use tokens from to configure styling for your documentation.

Styles

In Figma, styles are a defined set of properties or attributes of an object. Styles are imported to Supernova as tokens.

T

Theme

A set of overrides for token values in a design system.

Theme token

A token contained within a theme.

Theme value

The value of an override for a single token as part of a theme.

Token

Style definitions in your design system that can be consumed by the codebases and projects using your design system, consisting of a name and value, and an optional description.

V

Variables

In Figma, reusable values that can be applied to design properties.

Version

A snapshot of your design system and documentation content at one moment.

W

Workspace

The home for your design systems and where your team will collaborate.