# Foundations
**The building blocks of our design system**: OKLCH colors, typography scale, spacing tokens, shadows, and border radius. Master these fundamentals to build consistent, accessible interfaces.
---
## Table of Contents
1. [Technology Stack](#technology-stack)
2. [Color System (OKLCH)](#color-system-oklch)
3. [Typography](#typography)
4. [Spacing Scale](#spacing-scale)
5. [Shadows](#shadows)
6. [Border Radius](#border-radius)
7. [Quick Reference](#quick-reference)
---
## Technology Stack
### Core Technologies
- **Framework**: Next.js 15 + React 19
- **Styling**: Tailwind CSS 4 (CSS-first configuration)
- **Components**: shadcn/ui (New York style)
- **Color Space**: OKLCH (perceptually uniform)
- **Icons**: lucide-react
- **Fonts**: Geist Sans + Geist Mono
### Design Principles
1. **🎨 Semantic First** - Use `bg-primary`, not `bg-blue-500`
2. **♿ Accessible by Default** - WCAG AA compliance minimum (4.5:1 contrast)
3. **📐 Consistent Spacing** - Multiples of 4px (0.25rem base unit)
4. **🧩 Compose, Don't Create** - Use shadcn/ui primitives
5. **🌗 Dark Mode Ready** - All components work in light/dark
6. **⚡ Pareto Efficient** - 80% of needs with 20% of patterns
---
---
> [!NOTE]
> **Branding vs. Design System**: These foundations implement the visual identity defined in the **[Branding Guidelines](../branding/README.md)**. Refer to that document for the "why" behind these choices.
## Color System (OKLCH)
### Why OKLCH?
We use **OKLCH** (Oklab LCH) color space for:
- ✅ **Perceptual uniformity** - Colors look consistent across light/dark modes
- ✅ **Better accessibility** - Predictable contrast ratios
- ✅ **Vibrant colors** - More saturated without sacrificing legibility
- ✅ **Future-proof** - CSS native support (vs HSL/RGB)
**Learn more**: [oklch.com](https://oklch.com)
---
### Semantic Color Tokens
All colors follow the **background/foreground** convention:
- `background` - The background color
- `foreground` - The text color that goes on that background
**This ensures accessible contrast automatically.**
---
### Primary Colors
**Purpose**: Main brand color, CTAs, primary actions
```css
/* Light & Dark Mode */
--primary: oklch(0.6231 0.188 259.8145) /* Blue */ --primary-foreground: oklch(1 0 0)
/* White text */;
```
**Usage**:
```tsx
// Primary button (most common)
// Primary link
Learn more
// Primary badge
New
```
**When to use**:
- ✅ Call-to-action buttons
- ✅ Primary links
- ✅ Active states in navigation
- ✅ Important badges/tags
**When NOT to use**:
- ❌ Large background areas (too intense)
- ❌ Body text (use `text-foreground`)
- ❌ Disabled states (use `muted`)
---
### Secondary Colors
**Purpose**: Secondary actions, less prominent UI elements
```css
/* Light Mode */
--secondary: oklch(0.967 0.0029 264.5419) /* Light gray-blue */
--secondary-foreground: oklch(0.1529 0 0) /* Dark text */ /* Dark Mode */
--secondary: oklch(0.2686 0 0) /* Dark gray */ --secondary-foreground: oklch(0.9823 0 0)
/* Light text */;
```
**Usage**:
```tsx
// Secondary button
// Secondary badge
Draft
// Muted background area
Less important information
```
---
### Muted Colors
**Purpose**: Backgrounds for disabled states, subtle UI elements
```css
/* Light Mode */
--muted: oklch(0.9846 0.0017 247.8389) --muted-foreground: oklch(0.4667 0.0043 264.4327)
/* Dark Mode */ --muted: oklch(0.2393 0 0) --muted-foreground: oklch(0.6588 0.0043 264.4327);
```
**Usage**:
```tsx
// Disabled button
// Secondary/helper text
This action cannot be undone
// Skeleton loader
// TabsList background
Tab 1
```
**Common use cases**:
- Disabled button backgrounds
- Placeholder/skeleton loaders
- TabsList backgrounds
- Switch backgrounds (unchecked state)
- Helper text, captions, timestamps
---
### Accent Colors
**Purpose**: Hover states, focus indicators, highlights
```css
/* Light Mode */
--accent: oklch(0.9514 0.025 236.8242) --accent-foreground: oklch(0.1529 0 0) /* Dark Mode */
--accent: oklch(0.3791 0.1378 265.5222) --accent-foreground: oklch(0.9823 0 0);
```
**Usage**:
```tsx
// Dropdown menu item hover
Edit
// Highlighted section
Featured content
```
**Common use cases**:
- Dropdown menu item hover states
- Command palette hover states
- Highlighted sections
- Subtle emphasis backgrounds
---
### Destructive Colors
**Purpose**: Error states, delete actions, warnings
```css
/* Light & Dark Mode */
--destructive: oklch(0.6368 0.2078 25.3313) /* Red */ --destructive-foreground: oklch(1 0 0)
/* White text */;
```
**Usage**:
```tsx
// Delete button
---
### Success & Warning Colors
**Purpose**: Success states and warning alerts
```css
/* Light & Dark Mode */
--success: oklch(0.6231 0.188 145) /* Green */
--success-foreground: oklch(1 0 0) /* White text */
--warning: oklch(0.75 0.15 85) /* Yellow/Orange */
--warning-foreground: oklch(0.1529 0 0) /* Dark text */
```
**Usage**:
```tsx
// Success badge
Completed
// Warning alert
Warning: This action is irreversible.
```
// Error alert
Error
Something went wrong. Please try again.
// Form error text
{errors.email?.message}
// Destructive badge
Critical
```
**When to use**:
- ✅ Delete/remove actions
- ✅ Error messages
- ✅ Validation errors
- ✅ Critical warnings
---
### Card & Popover Colors
**Purpose**: Elevated surfaces (cards, popovers, dropdowns)
```css
/* Light Mode */
--card: oklch(1 0 0) /* White */ --card-foreground: oklch(0.1529 0 0) /* Dark text */
--popover: oklch(1 0 0) /* White */ --popover-foreground: oklch(0.1529 0 0) /* Dark text */
/* Dark Mode */ --card: oklch(0.2686 0 0) /* Dark gray */ --card-foreground: oklch(0.9823 0 0)
/* Light text */ --popover: oklch(0.2686 0 0) /* Dark gray */
--popover-foreground: oklch(0.9823 0 0) /* Light text */;
```
**Usage**:
```tsx
// Card (uses card colors by default)
Card Title
Card content
// Popover
Open
Popover content
```
---
### Border & Input Colors
**Purpose**: Borders, input field borders, dividers
```css
/* Light Mode */
--border: oklch(0.9276 0.0058 264.5313) --input: oklch(0.9276 0.0058 264.5313) /* Dark Mode */
--border: oklch(0.3715 0 0) --input: oklch(0.3715 0 0);
```
**Usage**:
```tsx
// Input border
// Card with border
Content
// Separator
// Custom border
Content
```
---
### Focus Ring
**Purpose**: Focus indicators for keyboard navigation
```css
/* Light & Dark Mode */
--ring: oklch(0.6231 0.188 259.8145) /* Primary blue */;
```
**Usage**:
```tsx
// Button with focus ring (automatic)
// Custom focusable element
Focusable content
```
**Accessibility note**: Focus rings are critical for keyboard navigation. Never remove them with `outline: none` without providing an alternative.
---
### Chart Colors
**Purpose**: Data visualization with harmonious color palette
```css
--chart-1: oklch(0.6231 0.188 259.8145) /* Blue */ --chart-2: oklch(0.5461 0.2152 262.8809)
/* Purple-blue */ --chart-3: oklch(0.4882 0.2172 264.3763) /* Deep purple */
--chart-4: oklch(0.4244 0.1809 265.6377) /* Violet */ --chart-5: oklch(0.3791 0.1378 265.5222)
/* Deep violet */;
```
**Usage**:
```tsx
// In chart components
const COLORS = [
'hsl(var(--chart-1))',
'hsl(var(--chart-2))',
'hsl(var(--chart-3))',
'hsl(var(--chart-4))',
'hsl(var(--chart-5))',
];
```
---
### Color Decision Tree
```
What's the purpose?
│
├─ Main action/CTA? → PRIMARY
├─ Secondary action? → SECONDARY
├─ Error/delete? → DESTRUCTIVE
├─ Hover state? → ACCENT
├─ Disabled/subtle? → MUTED
├─ Card/elevated surface? → CARD
├─ Border/divider? → BORDER
└─ Focus indicator? → RING
```
---
### Color Usage Guidelines
#### ✅ DO
```tsx
// Use semantic tokens
CTA
Error message
Subtle background
// Use accent for hover
Hover me
// Test contrast
// Primary on white: 4.5:1 ✅
// Destructive on white: 4.5:1 ✅
```
#### ❌ DON'T
```tsx
// Don't use arbitrary colors
Bad
// Don't mix color spaces
Bad
// Don't use primary for large areas
Too intense
// Don't override foreground without checking contrast
Low contrast!
```
---
## Typography
### Font Families
```css
--font-sans:
Geist Sans, system-ui, -apple-system, sans-serif --font-mono: Geist Mono, ui-monospace,
monospace --font-serif: ui-serif, Georgia, serif;
```
**Usage**:
```tsx
// Sans serif (default)
Body text
// Monospace (code)
const example = true;
// Serif (rarely used)
Quote
```
---
### Type Scale
| Size | Class | rem | px | Use Case |
| ---- | ----------- | -------- | ----- | ---------------------------- |
| 9xl | `text-9xl` | 8rem | 128px | Hero text (rare) |
| 8xl | `text-8xl` | 6rem | 96px | Hero text (rare) |
| 7xl | `text-7xl` | 4.5rem | 72px | Hero text (rare) |
| 6xl | `text-6xl` | 3.75rem | 60px | Hero text (rare) |
| 5xl | `text-5xl` | 3rem | 48px | Landing page H1 |
| 4xl | `text-4xl` | 2.25rem | 36px | Page H1 |
| 3xl | `text-3xl` | 1.875rem | 30px | **Page titles** |
| 2xl | `text-2xl` | 1.5rem | 24px | **Section headings** |
| xl | `text-xl` | 1.25rem | 20px | **Card titles** |
| lg | `text-lg` | 1.125rem | 18px | **Subheadings** |
| base | `text-base` | 1rem | 16px | **Body text (default)** |
| sm | `text-sm` | 0.875rem | 14px | **Secondary text, captions** |
| xs | `text-xs` | 0.75rem | 12px | **Labels, helper text** |
**Bold = most commonly used**
---
### Font Weights
| Weight | Class | Numeric | Use Case |
| -------- | --------------- | ------- | ------------------------ |
| Bold | `font-bold` | 700 | **Headings, emphasis** |
| Semibold | `font-semibold` | 600 | **Subheadings, buttons** |
| Medium | `font-medium` | 500 | **Labels, menu items** |
| Normal | `font-normal` | 400 | **Body text (default)** |
| Light | `font-light` | 300 | De-emphasized text |
**Bold = most commonly used**
---
### Typography Patterns
#### Page Title
```tsx
Page Title
```
#### Section Heading
```tsx
Section Heading
```
#### Card Title
```tsx
Card Title
```
#### Body Text
```tsx
Regular paragraph text uses the default text-base size.
```
#### Secondary Text
```tsx
Helper text, timestamps, captions
```
#### Label
```tsx
```
---
### Line Height
| Class | Value | Use Case |
| ----------------- | ----- | ----------------------- |
| `leading-none` | 1 | Headings (rare) |
| `leading-tight` | 1.25 | **Headings** |
| `leading-snug` | 1.375 | Dense text |
| `leading-normal` | 1.5 | **Body text (default)** |
| `leading-relaxed` | 1.625 | Comfortable reading |
| `leading-loose` | 2 | Very relaxed (rare) |
**Usage**:
```tsx
// Heading
Tight line height for headings
// Body (default)
Normal line height for readability
```
---
### Typography Guidelines
#### ✅ DO
```tsx
// Use semantic foreground colors
Body text
Secondary text
// Maintain heading hierarchy
Page Title
Section
Subsection
// Limit line length for readability
60-80 characters per line is optimal
// Use responsive type sizes
Responsive Title
```
#### ❌ DON'T
```tsx
// Don't use too many sizes on one page
Too small
Still small
Base
Large
Larger
// ^ Pick 2-3 sizes max
// Don't skip heading levels
Page
Section
// ❌ Skipped h2
// Don't use custom colors without contrast check
Low contrast
// Don't overuse bold
Every
word
bold
```
---
## Spacing Scale
Tailwind uses a **0.25rem (4px) base unit**:
```css
--spacing: 0.25rem;
```
**All spacing should be multiples of 4px** for consistency.
### Spacing Tokens
| Token | rem | Pixels | Use Case |
| ----- | -------- | ------ | ---------------------------------- |
| `0` | 0 | 0px | No spacing |
| `px` | - | 1px | Borders, dividers |
| `0.5` | 0.125rem | 2px | Very tight |
| `1` | 0.25rem | 4px | Icon gaps |
| `2` | 0.5rem | 8px | **Tight spacing** (label → input) |
| `3` | 0.75rem | 12px | Component padding |
| `4` | 1rem | 16px | **Standard spacing** (form fields) |
| `5` | 1.25rem | 20px | Medium spacing |
| `6` | 1.5rem | 24px | **Section spacing** (cards) |
| `8` | 2rem | 32px | **Large gaps** |
| `10` | 2.5rem | 40px | Very large gaps |
| `12` | 3rem | 48px | **Section dividers** |
| `16` | 4rem | 64px | **Page sections** |
| `20` | 5rem | 80px | Extra large |
| `24` | 6rem | 96px | Huge spacing |
**Bold = most commonly used**
---
### Container & Max Width
```tsx
// Responsive container with horizontal padding
Content
// Constrained width for readability
Article content
```
### Max Width Scale
| Class | Pixels | Use Case |
| ----------- | ------ | ------------------- |
| `max-w-xs` | 320px | Tiny cards |
| `max-w-sm` | 384px | Small cards |
| `max-w-md` | 448px | **Forms** |
| `max-w-lg` | 512px | **Modals** |
| `max-w-xl` | 576px | Medium content |
| `max-w-2xl` | 672px | **Article content** |
| `max-w-3xl` | 768px | Documentation |
| `max-w-4xl` | 896px | **Wide layouts** |
| `max-w-5xl` | 1024px | Extra wide |
| `max-w-6xl` | 1152px | Very wide |
| `max-w-7xl` | 1280px | **Full page width** |
**Bold = most commonly used**
---
### Spacing Guidelines
#### ✅ DO
```tsx
// Use multiples of 4
Content
// Use gap for flex/grid
// Use space-y for stacks
// Use responsive spacing
Responsive padding
```
#### ❌ DON'T
```tsx
// Don't use arbitrary values
Bad
// Don't mix methods inconsistently
Inconsistent
Inconsistent
// Don't forget responsive spacing
Too much padding on mobile
```
**See [Spacing Philosophy](./04-spacing-philosophy.md) for detailed spacing strategy.**
---
## Shadows
Professional shadow system for depth and elevation:
```css
--shadow-xs:
0 1px 3px 0px hsl(0 0% 0% / 0.05) --shadow-sm: 0 1px 3px 0px hsl(0 0% 0% / 0.1),
0 1px 2px -1px hsl(0 0% 0% / 0.1) --shadow: 0 1px 3px 0px hsl(0 0% 0% / 0.1),
0 1px 2px -1px hsl(0 0% 0% / 0.1) --shadow-md: 0 1px 3px 0px hsl(0 0% 0% / 0.1),
0 2px 4px -1px hsl(0 0% 0% / 0.1) --shadow-lg: 0 1px 3px 0px hsl(0 0% 0% / 0.1),
0 4px 6px -1px hsl(0 0% 0% / 0.1) --shadow-xl: 0 1px 3px 0px hsl(0 0% 0% / 0.1),
0 8px 10px -1px hsl(0 0% 0% / 0.1) --shadow-2xl: 0 1px 3px 0px hsl(0 0% 0% / 0.25);
```
### Shadow Usage
| Elevation | Class | Use Case |
| --------- | ------------ | -------------------------------- |
| Base | No shadow | Buttons, inline elements |
| Low | `shadow-sm` | **Cards, panels** |
| Medium | `shadow-md` | **Dropdowns, tooltips** |
| High | `shadow-lg` | **Modals, popovers** |
| Highest | `shadow-xl` | Notifications, floating elements |
| Maximum | `shadow-2xl` | Dialogs (rare) |
**Usage**:
```tsx
// Card with subtle shadow
Card content
// Dropdown with medium shadow
Menu items
// Modal with high shadow
Modal content
// Floating notification
Notification
```
**Dark mode note**: Shadows are less visible in dark mode. Test both modes.
---
## Border Radius
Consistent rounded corners across the application:
```css
--radius: 0.375rem; /* 6px - base */
--radius-sm: calc(var(--radius) - 4px) /* 2px */ --radius-md: calc(var(--radius) - 2px) /* 4px */
--radius-lg: var(--radius) /* 6px */ --radius-xl: calc(var(--radius) + 4px) /* 10px */;
```
### Border Radius Scale
| Token | Class | Pixels | Use Case |
| ------ | -------------- | ------ | -------------------------------- |
| None | `rounded-none` | 0px | Square elements |
| Small | `rounded-sm` | 2px | **Tags, small badges** |
| Medium | `rounded-md` | 4px | **Inputs, small buttons** |
| Large | `rounded-lg` | 6px | **Cards, buttons (default)** |
| XL | `rounded-xl` | 10px | **Large cards, modals** |
| 2XL | `rounded-2xl` | 16px | Hero sections |
| 3XL | `rounded-3xl` | 24px | Very rounded |
| Full | `rounded-full` | 9999px | **Pills, avatars, icon buttons** |
**Bold = most commonly used**
### Usage Examples
```tsx
// Button (default)
// Input field
// Card
Large card
// Avatar
// Badge/Tag
Small tag
// Pill button
```
### Directional Radius
```tsx
// Top corners only
Top rounded
// Bottom corners only
Bottom rounded
// Left corners only
Left rounded
// Right corners only
Right rounded
// Individual corners
Top-left and bottom-right
```
---
## Quick Reference
### Most Used Tokens
**Colors**:
- `bg-primary text-primary-foreground` - CTAs
- `bg-destructive text-destructive-foreground` - Delete/errors
- `bg-muted text-muted-foreground` - Disabled/subtle
- `text-foreground` - Body text
- `text-muted-foreground` - Secondary text
- `border-border` - Borders
**Typography**:
- `text-3xl font-bold` - Page titles
- `text-2xl font-semibold` - Section headings
- `text-xl font-semibold` - Card titles
- `text-base` - Body text
- `text-sm text-muted-foreground` - Secondary text
**Spacing**:
- `p-4` - Standard padding (16px)
- `p-6` - Card padding (24px)
- `gap-4` - Standard gap (16px)
- `gap-6` - Section gap (24px)
- `space-y-4` - Form field spacing (16px)
- `space-y-6` - Section spacing (24px)
**Shadows & Radius**:
- `shadow-sm` - Cards
- `shadow-md` - Dropdowns
- `shadow-lg` - Modals
- `rounded-lg` - Buttons, cards (6px)
- `rounded-full` - Avatars, pills
---
## Next Steps
- **Quick Start**: [5-minute crash course](./00-quick-start.md)
- **Components**: [shadcn/ui component guide](./02-components.md)
- **Layouts**: [Layout patterns](./03-layouts.md)
- **Spacing**: [Spacing philosophy](./04-spacing-philosophy.md)
- **Reference**: [Quick lookup tables](./99-reference.md)
---
**Related Documentation:**
- [Quick Start](./00-quick-start.md) - Essential patterns
- [Components](./02-components.md) - shadcn/ui library
- [Spacing Philosophy](./04-spacing-philosophy.md) - Margin vs padding strategy
- [Accessibility](./07-accessibility.md) - WCAG compliance
**External Resources:**
- [OKLCH Color Picker](https://oklch.com)
- [WebAIM Contrast Checker](https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/)
- [Tailwind CSS Documentation](https://tailwindcss.com/docs)
**Last Updated**: November 2, 2025