I think you are referring to styles. Styles define the appearance of the items you craft. Your characters will be able to craft the style of their race (eg. Altmer can craft Alter items). You unlock more styles by obtaining "Motif" books. Motifs can be found in various non-food containers around the world, crown store, and guild traders.

Once you have the knowledge (motifs), you need the style item in your inventory (example, Adamantite, Manganese, Moonstone, etc.).

Traits are special properties you can add to your crafted items (Training, Sharpened, Exploration, etc.). You unlock traits by going to the crafting station and researching items with the various trait for the various items you can craft. Once unlocked, you will need a trait item (diamond, sapphire, etc) in your inventory to add it to crafted item.