What does Design Tokens mean in website design?

Pronunciation: /dɪˈzaɪn ˈtoʊkənz/

Imagine you’re building with LEGOs. Instead of searching for the exact shade of blue for every single brick, you have a named container – let’s call it “SkyBlue” – that holds that specific shade. Every time you need that particular blue, you just use “SkyBlue.” That’s essentially what design tokens are in website design. They’re named variables that store design elements like colors, fonts, spacing, and sizes. This makes it easier to maintain consistency and update your website’s look and feel.

In simple terms, design tokens are like reusable building blocks for your website’s appearance. They act as a single source of truth for all your design elements, ensuring everything looks and feels unified.

Why is understanding design tokens important? Because they can significantly improve efficiency and reduce errors in your website’s design and development. Using design tokens:

  • Ensures consistency: Every instance of “SkyBlue” will always be the *exact* same shade, avoiding inconsistencies across your site.
  • Simplifies updates: If you decide to change the “SkyBlue” to a slightly different hue, you only need to update it in one place – the token itself – and the change automatically propagates throughout your entire website.
  • Saves time and resources: The efficiency gained from streamlined updates and reduced errors translates directly to cost savings and faster development cycles.
  • Improves collaboration: Designers and developers can easily communicate using the named tokens, eliminating ambiguity and misunderstandings.

The Company’s systematic approach to web design incorporates design tokens to establish a foundation of efficiency and consistency, leading to cost savings and measurable improvements in website performance. We build sustainable systems, not fleeting trends. Our 20+ years of experience allows us to craft solutions that deliver lasting value.

For help with streamlining your website design and development processes through the implementation of design tokens, 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.


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