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What does CSS Environment Variables mean in website design?

What does CSS Environment Variables mean in website design?

Pronunciation Guide: CSS (pronounced “see-ess-ess”) Environment Variables (pronounced “en-VY-ron-ment VARE-ee-uh-bulz”)

Imagine you’re building with LEGOs. Instead of having to change the color of every single brick individually, you could create a special “color instruction” at the beginning. Then, whenever you use a specific instruction like “red brick,” all the bricks following that instruction would automatically be red. CSS environment variables work similarly for websites.

In simple terms, CSS environment variables are like reusable containers for storing values (like colors, fonts, or sizes) that you can use throughout your website’s style sheet (the CSS). This means you can change one value in one place, and all the elements using that value will automatically update. For example, you could define a variable called `–main-color: #007bff;` and then use `var(–main-color)` everywhere you want that specific blue color. If you later decide to change your main color to green, you only need to update the variable’s value once. This saves time and makes your code easier to maintain.

Why is understanding this important? It could significantly improve your website’s efficiency and maintainability. Using CSS environment variables offers several benefits:

  • Easier updates: Changing a single variable affects all elements using it, reducing the risk of inconsistencies and errors.
  • Improved organization: It makes your CSS code more readable and easier to understand by centralizing style settings.
  • Enhanced consistency: Ensures a uniform look and feel across your entire website.
  • Better collaboration: Makes it simpler for multiple designers or developers to work on the same project.

By implementing a systematic approach to your website’s design, you can leverage the power of CSS environment variables to streamline your workflow and enhance the overall quality of your website. This aligns with a data-driven strategy that prioritizes efficiency and measurable results, avoiding unnecessary complexity.

For help with optimizing your website’s CSS and implementing environment variables, give us a call at 613-777-5001.

“The Bride”.  A an example of an experimental, or concept album project from 2022.  Painted in acrylic. (Private collection)

Building Confidence Through Language: A Guide for the Collector

One of the biggest barriers for aspiring art collectors is not a lack of taste, but a lack of confident language. People know what they are drawn to, but they often struggle to articulate the ‘why’ behind their emotional connection. Providing them with a basic vocabulary can be transformative.

By explaining core artistic concepts, we can bridge this gap. An artist’s newsletter or a gallery brochure could break down:

  • The Architecture of Composition: How lines and shapes lead the eye and create a focal point.
  • The Emotional Weight of a Color Palette: Why a limited, muted palette feels different from a vibrant, high-contrast one.
  • The Role of Value in Creating Depth: How the interplay of light and shadow builds a believable world.

It’s like being given a phrasebook in a foreign country; suddenly, you can navigate and connect with more assurance. Consider Edward Hopper, whose stylized realism simplifies scenes to their emotional core. Understanding this allows a collector to explain why the work feels so dreamlike and memorable. This knowledge doesn’t replace the emotional response; it validates it.

The Dialogue Between Feeling and Form

Great art speaks to us on two levels: the immediate, gut-level emotional reaction and the deeper intellectual appreciation. You might feel the perpetual warmth and light in a Monet, which immerses the viewer in the sensory experience of a moment. Conversely, you might sense the rugged, stoic soul of the landscape in a piece by Canada’s Group of Seven, which evokes a feeling of profound solitude.

These feelings are universal, but the ability to discuss why we feel them builds a stronger connection. From a marketing perspective, this education slots perfectly into the buyer’s journey. During the “comparison” phase, an artist who also educates their audience is building a relationship of trust and authority, making the final “decision” more likely.

Conclusion: A Bridge of Shared Understanding

Art, in its purest form, is an act of communication. Whether through the calculated narrative of a storyteller or the freeform expression of a poet, the artist extends an invitation to the viewer. By providing the language to understand this invitation, we empower collectors to move beyond simple preference and into the realm of true appreciation. It transforms a simple transaction into a meaningful connection, where the viewer doesn’t just own a piece of art—they become part of its ongoing story.

About the Author

Jaeson Tanner is a Marketing Thinker at Zero Noise Marketing and a narrative artist once in a blue moon. You can see his work on Instagram at @jaeson_tanner.