As Shopify’s reference theme, Dawn has been created for flexibility and performance. Dawn is characterized by the use of Online Store 2.0 features. This includes JSON templates as well, to support app sections and blocks on all pages.
The key features of the Shopify Dawn theme are that it is a mobile-first and ultra-lightweight theme. It uses an opinionated set of features and atomic components but minimal JavaScript. While this minimizes the complexity for the merchants, it maximizes the flexibility as well.
Dawn theme uses native browser features and CSS over JavaScript in all instances possible such that bundle size reduces and load times are lower. While the design is easy to use, it is flexible as well and the theme features an intuitive interface. A range of color schemes are accessible for the merchants and the template functionality has been split into blocks and sections.