Design Guide

Apply these principles to every UI component to ensure modern, professional appearance.

Core Principles

Clean and Minimal

• Use abundant white space
• Avoid clutter
• One primary action per section

Color Palette

• Base: grays and off-whites (#F9FAFB, #F3F4F6, #E5E7EB, #6B7280, #374151)
• ONE accent color used sparingly (avoid generic purple/blue gradients)
• 60% neutral, 30% secondary neutral, 10% accent

NO Generic Gradients

• Never use rainbow or multi-color gradients
• Avoid purple/blue gradient combinations
• Solid colors or subtle single-color gradients only

Spacing System (8px Grid)

Use only these values: 8, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64px

/* Component internal padding */
padding: 16px;  /* Standard */
padding: 24px;  /* Comfortable */

/* Between elements */
gap: 16px;      /* Related items */
gap: 32px;      /* Sections */
gap: 48px;      /* Major sections */

Typography

Hierarchy

• Heading 1: 32px, bold
• Heading 2: 24px, semibold
• Heading 3: 20px, semibold
• Body: 16px minimum (never smaller)
• Small text: 14px (use sparingly)

Font Limits: Maximum 2 font families per design

Visual Elements

Shadows - Subtle only

/* Good */
box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);

/* Bad - too heavy */
box-shadow: 0 10px 40px rgba(0,0,0,0.5);

Rounded Corners - Use selectively

border-radius: 8px;   /* Standard */
border-radius: 12px;  /* Larger elements */
/* Not everything needs rounding */

Borders

border: 1px solid #E5E7EB;  /* Subtle gray */

Interactive States

Always define hover, active, and disabled states:

/* Button states */
.button {
  background: #3B82F6;
  transition: all 0.2s;
}
.button:hover {
  background: #2563EB;
  transform: translateY(-1px);
}
.button:active {
  transform: translateY(0);
}
.button:disabled {
  opacity: 0.5;
  cursor: not-allowed;
}

Component Patterns

Buttons

• Padding: 12px 24px (vertical horizontal)
• Subtle shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.1)
• Clear hover state (darker background or lift)
• NO gradients

Cards

• Border OR subtle shadow, not both
• Padding: 24px
• Background: white or light gray

/* Option A: Border */
border: 1px solid #E5E7EB;

/* Option B: Shadow */
box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);

Forms

• Labels above inputs (16px, #374151)
• Input padding: 12px 16px
• Clear error states (red border + red text below)
• Spacing between fields: 24px

.form-field {
  margin-bottom: 24px;
}
.input {
  padding: 12px 16px;
  border: 1px solid #D1D5DB;
  border-radius: 6px;
}
.input:focus {
  border-color: #3B82F6;
  outline: none;
}
.input.error {
  border-color: #EF4444;
}

Mobile-First

Start with mobile layout, enhance for desktop:

• Stack vertically on mobile
• Side-by-side on desktop (768px+)
• Touch targets minimum 44px
• Readable without zooming

Anti-Patterns (Never Do)

❌ Rainbow gradients
❌ Text smaller than 14px
❌ Inconsistent spacing (mixing random values)
❌ Every element different color
❌ Heavy drop shadows
❌ Too many border radius values
❌ No hover states
❌ Cards with both border AND shadow