# Design and Visual Collaboration Glossary

> 30 terms from the Workplace & Collaboration book's Design and Visual Collaboration part, each defined in a line and linked to the chapter that explains it.

- **Alias (design token):** A token whose value is a reference to another token, written `{group.token}` in the W3C format, resolved per mode ([Design Systems & Handoff](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-systems-and-handoff#variables-and-tokens)).
- **Annotation toolkit:** A Figma kit of stamps for documenting accessibility intent (headings, landmarks, focus order, alt text) before handoff, such as GitHub's and CVS Health's ([Design Systems & Handoff](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-systems-and-handoff#accessibility-annotations)).
- **Binding (canvas):** A record attaching one canvas object to another, such as an arrow to a shape, so the attachment survives moves ([Whiteboards & Diagrams](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/whiteboards-and-diagrams#object-models)).
- **Branch (design file):** A separate working copy of a design file or library that reaches the main file only by a reviewed merge ([Design Tools](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-tools#files-versions-and-branches)).
- **Brand kit:** Canva's set of approved colors, fonts and logos applied through templates and approvals, its design system for non-designers ([Design Tools](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-tools#sketch-penpot-adobe-xd-and-canva)).
- **Code Connect:** Figma's mapping from a design component to the real code component, so Dev Mode shows the codebase's import and usage ([Design Systems & Handoff](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-systems-and-handoff#dev-mode-and-handoff)).
- **Component property:** A named, typed way an instance may vary from its master (boolean, instance swap, text, variant, slot) without detaching ([Design Systems & Handoff](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-systems-and-handoff#components-variants-and-properties)).
- **Culling:** Skipping the drawing of canvas objects whose bounds fall outside the viewport while keeping them selectable and exportable ([Whiteboards & Diagrams](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/whiteboards-and-diagrams#the-infinite-canvas)).
- **Design Tokens Format Module:** The W3C Design Tokens Community Group's JSON format for tokens, stable since version 2025.10 ([Design Systems & Handoff](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-systems-and-handoff#variables-and-tokens)).
- **Detach:** Breaking an instance's link to its library component, after which it no longer receives updates; the main health signal for a design system ([Design Systems & Handoff](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-systems-and-handoff#libraries-and-publishing)).
- **Dev Mode:** Figma's inspection mode for engineers, with code, applied variables, measurements, annotations and ready-for-dev status ([Design Systems & Handoff](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-systems-and-handoff#dev-mode-and-handoff)).
- **Dev seat:** A Figma seat with full Dev Mode access but no design editing, priced for engineers ([Design Tools](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-tools#seats-admins-and-who-decides)).
- **Diagram-as-code:** Writing a diagram as text (Mermaid, PlantUML) rendered by a layout engine, so it lives and diffs with the code ([Whiteboards & Diagrams](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/whiteboards-and-diagrams#diagrams-and-diagram-as-code)).
- **Editable-board limit:** The free-tier cap on how many boards can be edited at once (three on Miro and Mural) ([Whiteboards & Diagrams](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/whiteboards-and-diagrams#plans-limits-and-the-admin)).
- **Facilitator lock:** A whiteboard control that stops participants from moving a board's structure during a session ([Whiteboards & Diagrams](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/whiteboards-and-diagrams#templates-and-facilitation)).
- **Fractional index:** A sibling-order key between two neighbors' keys, so an insert or move changes one object only ([Design Tools](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-tools#multiplayer)).
- **Library (design):** A design file whose components, styles and variables are published for other files to use and update from ([Design Systems & Handoff](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-systems-and-handoff#libraries-and-publishing)).
- **Library update:** A published change that each consuming file reviews and accepts when it chooses; it is never pushed automatically ([Design Systems & Handoff](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-systems-and-handoff#libraries-and-publishing)).
- **Mermaid:** A text syntax and JavaScript renderer for flowcharts, sequence, class, state and other diagrams ([Whiteboards & Diagrams](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/whiteboards-and-diagrams#diagrams-and-diagram-as-code)).
- **Mode (variables):** One of several values a variable holds for a context such as light and dark or a brand ([Design Systems & Handoff](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-systems-and-handoff#variables-and-tokens)).
- **Multiplayer:** Figma's term for live co-editing through a server process that owns each open document ([Design Tools](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-tools#multiplayer)).
- **Page space:** A canvas's own coordinate system, in which object positions don't change when a viewer pans or zooms ([Whiteboards & Diagrams](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/whiteboards-and-diagrams#the-infinite-canvas)).
- **PlantUML:** A text-to-diagram tool for UML and other notations that uses Graphviz for layout ([Whiteboards & Diagrams](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/whiteboards-and-diagrams#diagrams-and-diagram-as-code)).
- **Presence (canvas):** Live cursors, selections and similar state that sync to collaborators but are never saved ([Whiteboards & Diagrams](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/whiteboards-and-diagrams#object-models)).
- **Ready for dev:** A status a designer sets on a frame or component to tell engineers it can be built, with changes tracked from that version ([Design Systems & Handoff](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-systems-and-handoff#dev-mode-and-handoff)).
- **Resolver Module:** The W3C design tokens companion spec that resolves token sets and modifiers into one context, such as a dark theme ([Design Systems & Handoff](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-systems-and-handoff#variables-and-tokens)).
- **Style Dictionary:** An open-source build tool that turns token files into platform code (CSS, iOS, Android) and reads the W3C format ([Design Systems & Handoff](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-systems-and-handoff#variables-and-tokens)).
- **Variable (Figma):** A named, typed value (color, number, string, boolean, timing, easing) bound to layer properties, Figma's form of a design token ([Design Systems & Handoff](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-systems-and-handoff#variables-and-tokens)).
- **Variable scoping:** Restricting a variable to the properties it may apply to, such as spacing tokens to gaps and padding ([Design Systems & Handoff](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-systems-and-handoff#variables-and-tokens)).
- **Version history (design file):** Automatic checkpoints plus named versions of a design file, restorable without losing later work ([Design Tools](https://www.syntaqx.com/books/workplace-and-collaboration/design-tools#files-versions-and-branches)).

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