Explainable AI (XAI)
CONCEPT
AI GOVERNANCE
Methods and techniques that help people understand how an AI system works and why it produced a particular output or decision.
CONCEPT
EXPERIENCE DESIGN
Design Token
A named, platform-independent representation of a design decision such as color, spacing, typography or motion.
BUSINESS RELEVANCE
Design tokens keep brand and interface decisions consistent across web, iOS, Android and design tools, so a change such as a new brand color can be made once and shipped everywhere.
IMPLEMENTATION EXAMPLE
A team defines a token named color-action-primary with a value of #0B5FFF in a JSON file, uses Style Dictionary to export it as CSS variables, Swift and Android resources, and rebrands all three apps by changing one value.
LIMITATIONS
Tokens only help if naming is clear and teams use them instead of hard-coded values. Too many tokens become hard to manage, and tokens cannot capture every design decision, such as layout behavior or interaction logic.
TECHNICAL EXPLANATION
Tokens are name and value pairs stored in a platform-neutral format, often JSON following the W3C Design Tokens Community Group format, whose first stable version (2025.10) was published in October 2025. They are usually layered: primitive tokens hold raw values, semantic tokens map them to purposes such as text or surface, and component tokens apply them to specific elements. Build tools transform tokens into platform code.
Secondary Topics
Systems Architecture
Sources
Design Tokens Community Group — Design Tokens Format Module 2025.10 — https://www.designtokens.org/TR/2025.10/format/; Material Design 3 — Design tokens — https://m3.material.io/foundations/design-tokens/overview
Related terms
Data Lineage
CONCEPT
DATA ENGINEERING
The detailed audit trail tracing the lifecycle, transformation history, and origin of data assets through business pipelines.
Intelligent Automation
CONCEPT
INTELLIGENT AUTOMATION
Intelligent automation combines AI, process management and RPA bots to run multi-step business processes, including steps that need decisions or reading.
Microcopy
CONCEPT
EXPERIENCE DESIGN
Microcopy covers the small pieces of text in an interface, from labels to error messages, that tell users what to do and reassure them at decision points.
Attack Surface
CONCEPT
CYBERSECURITY
The total aggregation of accessible endpoints, identities, protocols, and vulnerabilities open to potential digital exploitation.