Designs systems can come with a complicated vocabulary, so we've defined some common terms found inside (and outside!) Supernova.
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Term |
Definition |
|---|---|
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Active exporter |
The enabled exporter for a particular action |
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Asset |
Exportable components (eg. icons) |
|
Automatic update / Autoupdate |
Checks for changes from your design system files periodically (from Figma) |
|
Base value |
The core value assigned to a token, before any overrides (eg. theme values) are applied |
|
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 |
|
Code preview |
Preview the output of running an exporter |
|
Component |
A collection of smaller aspects of design elements, used in UX and design patterns throughout your brand or product |
|
Custom properties |
Properties that can be added to tokens and components |
|
Default documentation exporter |
The default exporter for the documentation site |
|
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 |
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Documentation editor |
The edit mode of the documentation site |
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Documentation exporter |
An exporter for the documentation site |
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Exporter |
A package that transforms design system data into production code |
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Figma component |
A component imported from Figma |
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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 top-level container for components or areas within your design |
|
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 |
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Import updates |
A button that triggers Supernova to import all changes that have been made and published in your data source files |
|
Installed exporter |
An exporter that is installed and available for use in your Supernova workspace |
|
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 |
|
Override |
When a theme value is layered on top of a matching token’s values in the design system |
|
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 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 |
|
Reference |
The link between a referenced token’s value and the value of the token it was created from |
|
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. |
|
Store |
A free marketplace containing exporters created by the Supernova team and developer community |
|
Theme |
A set of overrides for token values in a design system |
|
Theme token |
A token contained within a theme |
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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. |
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Usage |
Which parts of your data sources are being used for your design system, and what they’re being used for. |
|
Version |
A snapshot of your design system and documentation content at one moment |
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Workspace |
The home for your design systems and where your team will collaborate |
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