Design System
Canonical visual and accessibility rules for AI-Created and beyond. Now pressure-tested in production at Human, Actually. Every pixel shaped with AI, grounded in a rigorous 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.
Hierarchy Over Noise
Promote the primary metric, action, or object. Remove duplicate labels, dead helper chrome, and warning styling that adds drama without clarity.
Task vs Utility
Workflow steps belong in the main navigation. Help, settings, and other support utilities should stay adjacent, not masquerade as peer tasks.
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 new UI need appears, try existing primitives first. Promote it into a shared component only when the pattern repeats or clearly belongs across routes.
- -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.
- -When production surfaces teach us a better product pattern, update the canonical design contract and the live /design-system examples together.
Product UX Patterns
Production learnings from product surfaces like Human, Actually should be part of the system contract, not buried in one app’s implementation history.
Workflow vs Utility
Primary navigation should represent the actual work. Help, settings, and other support utilities belong adjacent to the workflow, not inside it as fake peer steps.
Calm Capacity States
When users hit a limit, prefer a composed capacity component and an unavailable affordance with immediate actions. Avoid warning banners that make the product feel brittle.
Overview + Workspace
If a page contains multiple tools or outputs, start with a compact overview and open one focused workspace at a time. Do not stack four mini-products in one endless scroll.
Honest Empty States
If an action has nowhere useful to go yet, disable it or replace it with explanatory copy. Do not make users click into emptiness just to learn there is nothing there.
Control Center Settings
Settings should read like a calm control center: status-first cards, expandable editing, and danger-zone actions demoted out of the main IA.
Dense, Aligned Toolbars
In horizontal action rows, controls should share height and family resemblance. If one control expands to fill remaining width, it should still look like it belongs to the same toolbar.
Workflow Navigation + Utility Actions
Task navigation stays in the tab system. Help and settings stay adjacent as utilities, not disguised as peer workflow steps.
Active workflow: sources
Capacity State
Capacity should feel managed and intentional. Calm heading, short helper copy, unavailable affordance, and direct recovery actions.
10 of 10 cases used
FullMake room before creating another case. Auto-delete is secondary information, not the headline.
Dense, Aligned Toolbars
Toolbar controls should share height and family resemblance. One trailing control may flex to fill remaining width, but it should still feel like part of the same row.
Overview + Workspace
For pages with multiple outputs or tools, use a scan-friendly overview row and open one focused workspace below it.
Resume workspace
Preview, QA, download, and refine the resume without competing against the cover letter or application answers in the same vertical stack.
Control Center Settings
Status-first cards with expandable actions are calmer and more legible than one long undifferentiated settings form.
AI Provider
ConnectedOpenAI connected · Highest quality mode
Base Resume
Connectedresume-marco-2026.pdf
Portfolio Website
Connectedmarco.design · marked as portfolio
LinkedIn Recommendations
Not AddedNo file added yet
Danger Zone
Keep destructive actions demoted and collapsible.
Honest Empty State
When a panel has nothing meaningful to show yet, keep the message clear and disable dead-end actions instead of inviting a pointless click.
Evidence Library
0 saved answersSaved answers from guided questions and chat will appear here so they can be reused across cases.
Product UX Rules
- -Promote the primary metric or task. Do not bury the most important state in helper text.
- -Remove duplicate labels and low-value system chrome before adding more explanation.
- -If a page contains multiple tools, scan first, work second: overview row on top, one focused workspace below.
- -Prefer embedded action states over broad warning banners for expected product conditions like limits or stale data.
- -Keep empty states honest by disabling or replacing actions that cannot do anything useful yet.
- -Settings should group reusable sources and system configuration into compact status cards, with danger-zone actions demoted.
Colors
A dual-theme palette with explicit hierarchy, one accent red, one solid action red, and a small semantic status layer for system feedback.
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.
Semantic Status
Success, info, warning, and error use dedicated tokens so status UI does not overload the brand red system.
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.
Click any swatch or token row to copy its current value.
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
Semantic Status
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.
- -Semantic status tokens are for confirmations, warnings, guidance, and failures. They should support meaning without competing with the core palette.
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.
Overview + Workspace
compact summary row or cards above one active workspace panel
Use this on product-heavy surfaces when several tools or outputs share a page. Let users scan first, then work in one focused area.
Dense Toolbar
fixed-height controls with one trailing flex item that fills remaining width
Useful for source rows, filters, and compact control strips. Mixed controls should align by height and visual weight.
Spacing Scale
Border Radius
Container
Responsive Strategy
Mobile-first with standard Tailwind breakpoints. Content wrappers control reading width, not the container.
Image Patterns
Consistent image handling across heroes, cards, and media embeds.
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.
- -Toolbars should preserve shared hit areas and consistent control height so mixed buttons, dropdowns, and icon actions still read as one system.
- -Overview regions and active workspaces should remain clearly grouped so screen-reader and keyboard users can distinguish scanning from editing.
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.
Honest Affordances
If a control cannot do anything useful yet, disable it or reframe it. Accessibility includes preventing users from walking into empty or misleading UI.
- 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.
- Disable or replace dead-end actions when the destination has no useful content yet.
- Workflow tabs and support utilities should stay semantically distinct rather than sharing one tablist by convenience.
- 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.
Focus Strategy
2px solid var(--color-focus)outline-offset: 3px::selection uses rgba(255, 75, 43, 0.22)Applies to: a, button, input, textarea, select, summary, [tabindex]:not([tabindex="-1"])
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, usually via ThemedHeroImage
- -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
- -Shared article shell for editorial detail routes, with citation, author context, comments, and return path
- -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
Workspace
internal tools, dashboards, multi-step product flowsSupport real work with clear hierarchy: task navigation, utility actions, scan-first summaries, and one focused workspace at a time.
- -Workflow navigation for real task stages only
- -Utility actions like Help and Settings adjacent to the workflow, not inside it
- -Compact overview row or summary cards before the active work area
- -One primary workspace, panel, or editor open at a time
- -Honest empty and capacity states with direct next actions
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.
- -Route-level heroes and article pages should start from shared primitives like ThemedHeroImage and ArticleLayout before adding route-specific variation.
- -Workflow tabs should only represent real stages of work. Support utilities such as Help or Settings stay adjacent and visually secondary.
- -When a page combines multiple tools, use overview-plus-workspace hierarchy before resorting to a long stack of unrelated sections.
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.
- -Workspace: task navigation and utility actions must stay semantically distinct, and unavailable actions should be disabled instead of routing users into empty UI.
Components
These are the shared production patterns exported from @ai-created/ui.
Component Rules
- -Start with shared primitives: Button, Surface, TextInput, and TextArea carry the interaction contract.
- -Prefer existing shells before inventing a new card style.
- -Do not add checklist components for completeness. A new shared component should answer a real product need, not a hypothetical one.
- -Keep metadata systems compact and mono-driven: status, platform, date, category, read time.
- -For multi-tool product surfaces, prefer overview cards plus one active workspace instead of stacking every tool vertically.
- -If an action has nowhere useful to go yet, disable it or replace it with explanatory copy. Do not ship dead-end clicks.
- -Dense toolbars should use same-height controls and shared alignment before introducing custom flourishes.
- -Use the bright red accent for emphasis and state. Use the solid red token for filled actions with white text.
- -Route-level composition counts as a component decision. Shared shells are part of the system, not implementation trivia.
- -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
One shared button primitive with variant and size options. Primary buttons use the solid red action fill. Secondary actions are bordered and quieter. Tertiary actions are text links.
Shared UI Primitives
The reusable building blocks exported from @ai-created/ui.
Handles primary, secondary, ghost, filter, and icon styles with consistent sizing and disabled states.
Encodes the shared shell language for cards, panels, notices, and accent modules instead of repeating border and background recipes inline.
When to Add a Component
This system grows by product pressure, not by checklist completeness. New components should be promoted when the pattern is real, repeated, or clearly cross-route.
Component admission rule
- -First use: solve the product problem with existing primitives and route-level composition.
- -Second similar use: identify the repeated interaction, content shape, and accessibility contract.
- -Shared or repeated use: promote it into a canonical component, then document it here and in DESIGN-SYSTEM.md in the same pass.
- -Patterns learned from shipped product flows belong here once they repeat: capacity states, status-first settings cards, overview-plus-workspace, and honest empty states.
- -Badges, dropdowns, radio groups, sliders, toggles, dialogs, and tooltips are shared primitives. Tooltip + Badge is the standard composition for interactive status pills.
Use the real product need first.
Add the shared primitive or variant.
Ship the full accessibility and state contract.
Document it in the playground and in DESIGN-SYSTEM.md.
Status & Loading
Async feedback uses a shared notice primitive and a small skeleton primitive instead of ad hoc status markup.
Saved changes
Sync in progress
ThemedHeroImage
Shared hero media wrapper. Every route-level hero uses this single primitive. It handles dark/light image swapping, overlay strength, edge fade gradients, and transparent-PNG blending, all backed by design system tokens.
default is the standard overlay for most browse pages.
strong is heavier, used for high-contrast moments.
soft is 20% more transparent than strong, for subtler image presence.
fadeBottom blends the hero edge into the page background.
fadeTop same effect at the top.
blendLight uses mix-blend-multiply on images in light mode so transparent PNGs blend into the warm beige background.
Form Controls
Forms use the shared field primitives so hover, focus, placeholder, and disabled behavior stay aligned.
Helper copy stays quiet but readable, and status feedback uses semantic tokens.
Browse Controls
Search plus low-friction filters are the preferred pattern when a route needs more than a simple grid.
Tabs
Horizontal tab bar for switching between related views. Uses roving tabindex with arrow-key navigation, Home/End support, and proper ARIA tab pattern.
Checkbox
Binary toggle with a visually hidden native input and a styled indicator. Focus-visible outlines appear on the visual box. Labels are always required for accessibility.
Dropdown
Single-select dropdown built on Headless UI Listbox. Full keyboard navigation with Arrow Up/Down, Enter/Space to select, Escape to close, and type-ahead search.
Radio Group
Single-select group using native radio inputs in a fieldset. Arrow keys move selection. Styled indicators follow the checkbox visual pattern with a centered dot.
Slider
Range input with a styled track and thumb. The filled portion uses the red accent. Includes an output element for the current value with aria-valuetext for screen readers.
Toggle
On/off switch visually distinct from checkboxes. Uses role='switch' with aria-checked. Sliding track animation with the red accent for the on state.
Badge
Pill-shaped semantic label for status indicators, counters, and metadata tags. Six variants map to the semantic color system.
Dialog
Modal dialog built on Headless UI with automatic focus trap, Escape to close, backdrop click to close, and transition animations. Size variants from sm to xl.
Tooltip
Contextual hint that appears on hover and focus. Configurable position and delay. Uses role='tooltip' with aria-describedby for screen reader support.
Tooltip + Badge
Badges wrapped in Tooltip create interactive status pills with explanatory hover text. Use cursor-help to signal the tooltip is available. This composition is the standard pattern for audit metadata and status indicators.
Card Hover System
Cards follow a consistent hover progression: border brightens, text lifts in contrast, and images scale subtly. Use the group selector for coordinated effects.
Dividers
Three divider weights for different contexts. Structural for lists, decorative for subtle breaks, accent for emphasis.
Empty States
When filters or search return nothing, show a direct, non-cute message. Always provide context or a way forward.
No articles found.
Try adjusting your search or clearing filters.
Breadcrumbs
Used on detail pages to show route context. Mono font, slash separators, current page is not linked.
Icon Sizing
Icons follow three size tiers. Small for inline metadata, medium for interactive controls, large for decorative or standalone use.
Accessibility By Component
- -Buttons and links must keep visible focus and communicate destination or action clearly.
- -Buttons ship with default, hover, focus-visible, loading, and disabled states. The design system should show those states, not imply them.
- -Disabled actions should communicate why they are unavailable when the user needs more context. Do not force navigation into empty destinations.
- -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.
- -Workflow tabs and utility actions should not share the same semantic tablist unless they represent the same kind of destination.
- -Mixed toolbars still need consistent hit targets and alignment. Buttons, dropdowns, and icon actions should share height when they occupy one control row.
- -Modals must trap focus, restore focus on close, support Escape to dismiss, and use role="dialog" with aria-modal and aria-labelledby.
- -Tabs use role="tablist" with arrow-key navigation, Home/End support, and roving tabindex. Each tab has role="tab", aria-selected, and aria-controls linking to its panel.
- -Checkboxes pair a visually hidden native input with a styled indicator. Focus-visible outlines render on the visual box via peer selectors. Labels are always required.
- -Empty states must communicate clearly to screen readers. Avoid placeholder SVGs without alt text.
- -Breadcrumbs use nav with aria-label="Breadcrumb" and plain text for the current page.
- -Dropdowns use Headless UI Listbox with full keyboard navigation (Arrow Up/Down, Enter, Escape, type-ahead). Selected option shows a check icon.
- -Radio groups use native radio inputs in a fieldset with legend. Arrow keys move selection. Styled indicators mirror the checkbox pattern with a centered dot.
- -Sliders use native range input with a styled track and thumb. The filled portion uses the red accent. aria-valuemin, aria-valuemax, aria-valuenow, and aria-valuetext are set.
- -Toggles use role="switch" with aria-checked. Visually distinct from checkboxes with a sliding track. Focus-visible outline on the track.
- -Dialogs use Headless UI Dialog with automatic focus trap, Escape to close, backdrop click to close, and transition animations. Close button has an aria-label.
- -Tooltips appear on hover and focus with a configurable delay. Use role="tooltip" with aria-describedby on the trigger. Positioned top/bottom/left/right.
- -Badges are inline semantic labels. When wrapped in Tooltip, add cursor-help so users know hover detail is available. The Tooltip provides aria-describedby on the Badge automatically.
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.
Framer Motion Patterns
These are the standard Framer Motion patterns used across the site. Keep them consistent rather than inventing variations.
initial={{ opacity: 0, y: 20 }}whileInView={{ opacity: 1, y: 0 }}viewport={{ once: true }}Animate once on scroll, do not repeat
transition={{ delay: index * 0.1 }}Sequential items in grids and lists
<AnimatePresence>Mobile menu, theme toggle icon swap
whileHover={{ y: -2 }}Subtle lift, duration 0.2s
whileTap={{ scale: 0.85 }}Toggle buttons, theme toggle
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, including layout, motion, and semantic feedback tokens.
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.
- -Prefer shared primitives such as Button, Surface, TextInput, and TextArea before rebuilding interaction styling route by route.
- -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.
- -Status feedback uses semantic success, info, warning, and error tokens instead of borrowing brand red for every message.
- -Hero media uses shared theme variables and the ThemedHeroImage component. Do not hand-roll overlay colors or theme swaps in route components.
- -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 {
--radius-md: 6px;
--layout-container-max: 1400px;
--motion-base: 0.3s;
--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;
--color-success: #55D39A;
--color-info: #6BB9FF;
}
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;
--color-success: #0F9F6E;
--color-info: #1F6FEB;
}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.
- -Success, info, warning, and error surfaces should remain readable in both themes and should not become accidental brand accents.
- -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.