Design System
Principles
These are the non-negotiable rules behind the live site. Everything else should follow from them.
Product-First
The site exists to support shipped work. Brand expression matters, but proof, hierarchy, and navigation win over spectacle.
Editorial Restraint
Large serif moments create tone. Most UI stays quiet, geometric, and highly legible so the work can carry the personality.
Dark-Native
Dark mode defines the atmosphere. Light mode is warm, calm, and equally intentional rather than a quick inversion.
System Before Novelty
New visual ideas must earn their place. Shared rules beat one-off styling, and route drift is treated as design debt.
Accessible by Default
Keyboard access, visible focus, readable contrast, clear labels, and reduced-motion support are core system requirements, not finishing work.
Change Discipline
- -If a change adds a new route pattern, update the page archetypes before shipping it.
- -If a change adds a new component style, update both /design-system and DESIGN-SYSTEM.md in the same pass.
- -If a change affects interaction, verify keyboard use, focus states, contrast, and reduced-motion behavior before shipping.
- -Do not introduce a second visual language for one part of the site unless it is explicitly documented as a sub-system.
Colors
A dual-theme palette with explicit hierarchy, one accent red, and one solid action red. Hover values are state tokens, not equal peers in the brand palette.
Layering
Use bg for page background, surface for primary cards and modules, and surface2 for nested controls or quieter sub-panels.
Text Hierarchy
text is primary content, text2 is supporting copy, and text3 is reserved for metadata, labels, and low-emphasis UI only.
Accent Restraint
The bright red token is for emphasis, dividers, and active state cues. Filled controls with white text use the darker solid red token.
Light Mode Discipline
Because light mode is warmer and softer, avoid leaning too hard on text3 for important copy or navigation.
Red Roles
The red system is intentionally narrow. There are only two public-facing jobs here: a brighter accent red for signal and a darker action red for filled controls. Hover values exist as state, not as standalone color identities.
Accent red
signal onlyThe brighter red is for emphasis, active cues, rules, and selective highlights. It should read as signal, not as a filled control.
Signal and selective emphasis should feel deliberate.
Contrast: 4.47:1 with white in dark mode
Action red
filled controlsThe darker red is the functional action color. It exists so filled controls can keep the same brand feel while remaining accessible.
Filled red actions must preserve the brand while still reading clearly with white text.
Contrast: 5.41:1 with white in dark mode
Supporting Tokens
These tokens support the main palette. They matter, but they are not meant to compete with the primary color roles above.
Backgrounds
Text
Red Support
UI
Accessibility Notes
- -Primary and secondary text tokens are safe for navigation, labels, and helper copy. `text3` is not.
- -Filled red controls use `red-solid` because the accent red is intentionally brighter and warmer, while `#D41010` reaches 5.41:1 with white text in dark mode.
- -Hover reds are state tokens, not separate brand colors. They support interaction feedback, not palette expansion.
- -Focus uses its own token so interactive outlines are visible in both themes without borrowing random utility colors.
- -Accent red should never become the only way to communicate meaning; it reinforces, it does not carry the whole signal.
Dark ↔ Light
In Context
Card Heading
Body text on a surface background. This demonstrates how the token hierarchy creates readable, layered interfaces.
Card Heading
Body text on a surface background. This demonstrates how the token hierarchy creates readable, layered interfaces.
Typography
One serif for tone, one sans for almost everything else, and monospace for structure. The system works because serif usage is restrained.
Instrument Serif
The art of building software
The art of building software
The art of building software
Hero titles, section headers, editorial moments. The only serif in the system — used sparingly for maximum impact.
Space Grotesk
Products that ship. Clear, readable text that scales from captions to paragraphs.
Products that ship. Clear, readable text that scales from captions to paragraphs.
Products that ship. Clear, readable text that scales from captions to paragraphs.
Headings, body text, navigation, UI labels. The workhorse typeface — geometric, distinctive, readable at every size.
System Monospace
const system = { status: "live" }
const system = { status: "live" }
const system = { status: "live" }
Code, technical labels, badges, metadata. Uses the platform’s native monospace (SF Mono, Menlo, Consolas).
Role Recipes
Hero Title
font-display text-4xl md:text-7xl tracking-wide
Reserved for route-level hero moments and major page framing.
Section Title
font-display text-3xl md:text-5xl tracking-wide
Used for major sections on the homepage and key interior pages.
Card Title
font-heading text-lg or text-xl font-medium
Most UI titles should stay in Space Grotesk rather than borrowing display styling.
Metadata
font-mono text-xs uppercase tracking-wider
Use for dates, labels, statuses, platform markers, and structural utility copy.
Type Scale
Base font-size is set to 125% (20px). These are the computed sizes at that base.
Building in the open
Editorial voice plus quiet UI typography
Serif creates the atmosphere. Space Grotesk carries the actual reading load. That split keeps the site expressive without making it fragile.
rule: use display typography sparinglyAccessibility Notes
- -The effective base size is 20px, so the UI starts from a readable floor instead of relying on micro-type.
- -Use real heading levels in page templates; display styling never replaces document structure.
- -Serif is reserved for expressive moments. Dense UI, forms, and filters stay in Space Grotesk to preserve legibility.
Spacing & Layout
The site relies on a small set of repeatable spacing and layout recipes. Consistency here is what keeps the visual system tight.
Layout Recipes
Hero Frame
pt-32 pb-20 with centered max-w-4xl copy block
Used on browse and context pages. Homepage hero is larger, but follows the same centered copy logic.
Standard Section
py-20 with one clear heading and one primary grid or block
The default rhythm across homepage sections and most interior modules.
Feature Card
bg-surface border rounded-md p-8 md:p-12
Primary module shell for proof blocks, summaries, and larger content groups.
Grid Rhythm
gap-6 for cards and related modules
The system mostly relies on 24px gaps; larger jumps should be intentional and rare.
Spacing Scale
Border Radius
Container
Accessibility Notes
- -Every route must expose the shared skip-link target: `#main-content`.
- -Source order should stay logical on mobile and desktop; visual rearrangement cannot break reading or tab order.
- -Headings, sections, and landmarks are part of layout, not content garnish. The system expects both visual rhythm and structural rhythm.
Accessibility
Accessibility is part of the system contract. The site should feel refined without asking users to trade off clarity, control, or comfort.
Keyboard First
Every interactive control must be reachable, usable, and understandable without a mouse. Skip links, nav order, and visible focus are baseline requirements.
Readable Contrast
Text, controls, and status states must hold up in both themes. Metadata can be quieter, but navigation, form labels, and key actions cannot disappear into the background.
Reduced Motion
Motion is optional enhancement. Users who prefer reduced motion should still get clear hierarchy, state change, and orientation without animated dependency.
Clear Naming
Decorative imagery stays decorative. Interactive elements need explicit names, external-link behavior should be communicated, and live feedback should be announced.
- Use one skip link target: `#main-content`.
- Do not remove focus rings without providing an equally visible replacement.
- Use `text3` for metadata only. Navigation, labels, and helper copy should usually use `text2` or `text`.
- Filled red controls with white text must use the solid red action token rather than the brighter accent red.
- Treat decorative icons and hero images as decorative with empty alt text and `aria-hidden` where appropriate.
- Announce changing UI states with `role="status"`, `aria-live`, or `role="alert"` when the user needs confirmation.
- Respect `prefers-reduced-motion`; motion should never gate comprehension.
Page Archetypes
Every live route should fit a known template. New pages inherit an archetype before they get bespoke styling.
Home
/Set the thesis, prove the work, and move people into products, stories, or contact.
- -Immersive hero with one core message
- -Proof sections before opinion-heavy copy
- -Featured products and supporting content modules
- -Direct contact path at the bottom
Browse
/products, /stories, /lab-notes, /mediaHelp people scan, compare, and choose where to go next.
- -Clear hero with route-specific framing
- -Structured filters only when they improve findability
- -Card grids with consistent metadata hierarchy
- -Strong empty states and clear onward links
Detail
/products/[slug], /stories/[slug], /lab-notes/[slug]Let one piece of work or writing carry focus without clutter.
- -Breadcrumb or route context
- -Tight headline and supporting metadata
- -Primary proof block: copy, media, or article body
- -Related links that keep the user inside the system
Context
/about, /resumeEstablish credibility, experience, and point of view without turning the site into a generic personal brand funnel.
- -Direct framing and authored copy
- -Structured credibility blocks
- -Clear tie-back to products and shipped work
- -Simple CTAs that point back into the main system
IA Rules
- -Public navigation is fixed: Home, Products, 0→1 Stories, Lab Notes, Media, About, Design System.
- -Legacy routes are redirected, not visually maintained as separate systems.
- -A new top-level route must justify its place in navigation and match an existing page archetype or create a documented new one.
Accessibility By Archetype
- -Home: one clear H1, obvious primary CTA, and a skip path to proof before long scrolling.
- -Browse: filters must be labeled, keyboard reachable, and paired with live result feedback or clear empty states.
- -Detail: breadcrumb or route context, readable hero copy, and media with meaningful fallback text or explicit decoration.
- -Context: credibility content should remain structured, not collapse into decorative cards with vague headings.
Components
These are the shared production patterns. Experimental showcase components are not part of the core public system.
Component Rules
- -Prefer existing shells before inventing a new card style.
- -Keep metadata systems compact and mono-driven: status, platform, date, category, read time.
- -Use the bright red accent for emphasis and state. Use the solid red token for filled actions with white text.
- -Interactive components need visible focus, explicit naming, and correct HTML semantics before they are considered done.
- -If a component only appears on one route, question whether it should be part of the design system at all.
Buttons & Links
Primary buttons use the solid red action fill. Secondary actions are bordered and quieter. Tertiary actions are text links.
Metadata System
Status pills, platform badges, and stack chips carry most of the structural utility language across the site.
Product Surfaces
The catalog relies on two card weights: a featured artifact card and a denser browse card.
Form Controls
Forms should feel like the rest of the site: quiet surfaces, clear labels, simple outlines, and one obvious submit action.
Browse Controls
Search plus low-friction filters are the preferred pattern when a route needs more than a simple grid.
Accessibility By Component
- -Buttons and links must keep visible focus and communicate destination or action clearly.
- -Cards that act as links should expose one clear accessible name and treat supporting imagery as decorative.
- -Forms require labels, helper copy when needed, autocomplete where appropriate, and success/error announcements.
- -Browse controls should use real fieldsets, legends, pressed states, and live feedback when results change.
Motion
Motion should support structure, emphasis, and state changes. If it cannot explain its purpose, it should not ship.
Entrance
Default to simple fade/slide reveals in the 0.45s to 0.6s range. They should clarify hierarchy, not become a visual event.
Hover
Use subtle lift, border emphasis, and color shifts. The public site should feel alive, not animated for its own sake.
State Change
The strongest motion belongs to real UI state changes such as menu open/close, theme toggles, and media interactions.
Allowed Patterns
These are the motion patterns that fit the public site.
Fade plus a small upward movement.
Small lift plus stronger border, nothing theatrical.
Reserved for actual state communication, not ambient decoration.
CSS Motion Tokens
These are the utility-level animations available to the system. Keep usage narrow and intentional.
Avoid By Default
- -Glitch, wave, shimmer, or neon treatments on core public pages.
- -Perpetual decorative motion unless the route is explicitly an experimental surface.
- -Large hover transforms that make cards feel unstable or playful when the rest of the system is controlled.
Accessibility Notes
- -Motion must degrade cleanly under `prefers-reduced-motion`; the interface still needs clear hierarchy and state without animation.
- -Do not rely on motion alone to explain selection, success, error, or hierarchy.
- -Continuous motion should be rare and tied to state, never treated as ambient decoration on core routes.
Theme Rules
The site is dark-native, but not dark-only. Theme support is part of the system contract, not a finishing pass.
Implementation rules
- -Prefer semantic tokens such as bg-bg, bg-surface, text-text2, and border-border before reaching for raw white or black utilities.
- -text3 is metadata only. Do not use it for critical navigation or long-form body copy, especially in light mode.
- -Use bg-red-solid and bg-red-solid-hover for filled actions with white text. bg-red remains the brighter accent token.
- -Hover reds are state values, not separate palette identities. Document them as interaction feedback, not as standalone brand colors.
- -Focus styling is tokenized. Do not invent ad hoc focus colors that drift from the system.
- -Hero overlays and image swaps are documented exceptions. If new exceptions are needed, document them here and in DESIGN-SYSTEM.md.
- -A component is not done until it works credibly in both dark and light themes.
How it works
A script in the document head reads localStorage before first paint, preventing flash of wrong theme. The .theme-transitioning class enables smooth 0.3s transitions only after user-initiated toggles.
Toggle the site theme
Every documented token adapts. If a component breaks here, it is not following the system.
:root {
--color-bg: #0A0A0B;
--color-surface: #101113;
--color-text: #F5F7FA;
--color-focus: rgba(255,75,43,0.72);
--color-red: #FF4B2B;
--color-red-hover: #F13A1D;
--color-red-solid: #D41010;
--color-red-solid-hover: #B80E0E;
}
html.light {
--color-bg: #F2EDE6;
--color-surface: #F7F3EC;
--color-text: #1D1D1F;
--color-focus: rgba(222,58,31,0.64);
--color-red: #DE3A1F;
--color-red-hover: #C92C18;
--color-red-solid: #D41010;
--color-red-solid-hover: #B80E0E;
}Token Reference
Accessibility Checks
- -Verify contrast and focus visibility in both themes before shipping.
- -Filled red controls should pass with white text because they use the solid action red, not the brighter accent red.
- -The theme toggle itself must remain clearly named and keyboard-usable.
- -If a theme-specific exception is required, document why it exists and how it avoids becoming permanent design debt.