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docs: Add design token naming scheme details

Dan MHrequested to merge
danmh-init-design-token-docs into main

What does this MR do?

Vision and Rationale

This MR adds to the dedicated maintainer documentation for design tokens to establish clear governance guidelines separate from consumer-facing documentation.

While our existing documentation at design.gitlab.com effectively helps consumers understand and use tokens, maintainers need more specific governance guidelines that can serve as:

  1. A comprehensive reference for naming conventions to ensure consistency during reviews
  2. A clear framework for decision-making when creating new tokens
  3. A boundary definition between design system tokens and feature-specific styling

Separating consumer and maintainer documentation will hopefully allow us to:

  • Keep consumer guides concise and focused on usage
  • Provide maintainers with detailed governance information in the repository where the work happens
  • Document current decisions so we don't need to revisit them when expanding to other token categories
  • Establish a single source of truth for token creation and maintenance standards

This documentation addition represents the first step toward a more comprehensive governance model for our design tokens and will help us maintain consistency as the system grows.

Wait, but what about mono-repo

If the design system becomes a mono-repo, I think this format is portable enough to move over without issue.

  • Consumer docs on the exposed website
  • Maintainer docs in the /doc/ of the repo

Screenshots or screen recordings

Integration merge requests

Does this MR meet the acceptance criteria?

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Conformity

  • Code review guidelines.
  • GitLab UI's contributing guidelines.
  • If it changes a Pajamas-compliant component's look & feel, the MR has been reviewed by a UX designer.
  • If it changes GitLab UI's documentation guidelines, the MR has been reviewed by a Technical Writer.
  • If the MR changes a component's API, integration MR(s) have been opened (see integration merge requests above).
  • Added the ~"component:*" label(s) if applicable.

Security

If this MR contains changes to processing or storing of credentials or tokens, authorization and authentication methods and other items described in the security review guidelines:

  • Label as security and @ mention @gitlab-com/gl-security/appsec
  • Security reports checked/validated by a reviewer from the AppSec team

Accessibility

If this MR adds or modifies a component, take a few moments to review the following:

  • All actions and functionality can be done with a keyboard.
  • Links, buttons, and controls have a visible focus state.
  • All content is presented in text or with a text equivalent. For example, alt text for SVG, or aria-label for icons that have meaning or perform actions.
  • Changes in a component’s state are announced by a screen reader. For example, changing aria-expanded="false" to aria-expanded="true" when an accordion is expanded.
  • Color combinations have sufficient contrast.
Edited by Dan MH

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