# Design System Documentation ## System Info | Field | Value | |-------|-------| | **Name** | [Design System Name] | | **Version** | [X.Y.Z] | | **Owner** | [Team/Person] | | **Status** | Active / Beta / Deprecated | | **Last Updated** | YYYY-MM-DD | --- ## Design Principles The following principles guide all design decisions in this system: 1. **[Principle 1 Name]** - [One sentence description. Example: "Clarity over cleverness - every element should have an obvious purpose."] 2. **[Principle 2 Name]** - [One sentence description. Example: "Consistency breeds confidence - similar actions should look and behave the same."] 3. **[Principle 3 Name]** - [One sentence description. Example: "Accessible by default - every component must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards."] 4. **[Principle 4 Name]** - [One sentence description. Example: "Progressive disclosure - show only what is needed, reveal complexity on demand."] --- ## Color Palette ### Brand Colors | Name | Hex | RGB | Usage | |------|-----|-----|-------| | Primary | #[XXXXXX] | rgb(X, X, X) | Primary actions, links, key UI elements | | Secondary | #[XXXXXX] | rgb(X, X, X) | Secondary actions, accents | | Accent | #[XXXXXX] | rgb(X, X, X) | Highlights, badges, notifications | ### Neutral Colors | Name | Hex | Usage | |------|-----|-------| | Gray-900 | #[XXXXXX] | Primary text | | Gray-700 | #[XXXXXX] | Secondary text | | Gray-500 | #[XXXXXX] | Placeholder text, disabled states | | Gray-300 | #[XXXXXX] | Borders, dividers | | Gray-100 | #[XXXXXX] | Backgrounds, hover states | | White | #FFFFFF | Page background, card background | ### Semantic Colors | Name | Hex | Usage | |------|-----|-------| | Success | #[XXXXXX] | Success messages, positive indicators | | Warning | #[XXXXXX] | Warning messages, caution indicators | | Error | #[XXXXXX] | Error messages, destructive actions | | Info | #[XXXXXX] | Informational messages, tips | ### Accessibility - All text colors must meet WCAG 2.1 AA contrast ratio (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text) - Test with color blindness simulators - Never use color as the only indicator of state --- ## Typography Scale ### Font Family - **Primary:** [Font Name] (headings and body) - **Monospace:** [Font Name] (code blocks, technical content) - **Fallback Stack:** [System font stack] ### Type Scale | Name | Size | Weight | Line Height | Usage | |------|------|--------|-------------|-------| | Display | 48px / 3rem | Bold (700) | 1.2 | Hero headings | | H1 | 36px / 2.25rem | Bold (700) | 1.25 | Page titles | | H2 | 28px / 1.75rem | Semibold (600) | 1.3 | Section headings | | H3 | 22px / 1.375rem | Semibold (600) | 1.35 | Subsection headings | | H4 | 18px / 1.125rem | Medium (500) | 1.4 | Card titles, labels | | Body Large | 18px / 1.125rem | Regular (400) | 1.6 | Lead paragraphs | | Body | 16px / 1rem | Regular (400) | 1.5 | Default body text | | Body Small | 14px / 0.875rem | Regular (400) | 1.5 | Secondary text, captions | | Caption | 12px / 0.75rem | Regular (400) | 1.4 | Labels, metadata | --- ## Spacing System ### Base Unit: 4px | Token | Value | Usage | |-------|-------|-------| | space-1 | 4px | Tight spacing (icon padding) | | space-2 | 8px | Compact elements (inline items) | | space-3 | 12px | Related elements (form field gaps) | | space-4 | 16px | Default spacing (paragraph gaps) | | space-5 | 20px | Group spacing (card padding) | | space-6 | 24px | Section spacing | | space-8 | 32px | Large section gaps | | space-10 | 40px | Page section dividers | | space-12 | 48px | Major layout sections | | space-16 | 64px | Page-level spacing | ### Layout Spacing - **Page margin:** space-6 (mobile), space-8 (tablet), space-12 (desktop) - **Card padding:** space-5 - **Form field gap:** space-3 - **Section gap:** space-10 --- ## Component Library ### Component Status Legend - **Stable** - Production ready, fully documented and tested - **Beta** - Functional but may change, use with awareness - **Deprecated** - Scheduled for removal, migrate to replacement - **Planned** - On roadmap, not yet available ### Components | Component | Status | Description | Variants | |-----------|--------|-------------|----------| | Button | Stable | Primary action triggers | Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Danger, Ghost | | Input | Stable | Text input fields | Default, Error, Disabled, With icon | | Select | Stable | Dropdown selection | Single, Multi, Searchable | | Checkbox | Stable | Multi-select toggle | Default, Indeterminate, Disabled | | Radio | Stable | Single-select option | Default, Disabled | | Toggle | Stable | Binary on/off switch | Default, With label | | Modal | Stable | Overlay dialog | Small, Medium, Large, Fullscreen | | Toast | Stable | Temporary notification | Success, Error, Warning, Info | | Card | Stable | Content container | Default, Interactive, Elevated | | Badge | Stable | Status indicator | Solid, Outline, Dot | | Avatar | Stable | User representation | Image, Initials, Icon | | Table | Beta | Data display grid | Default, Sortable, Selectable | | Tabs | Beta | Content organization | Default, Underline, Pill | | Tooltip | Stable | Contextual information | Default, Rich content | | [New Component] | Planned | [Description] | [Variants] | --- ## Usage Guidelines ### Do - Use components as documented (do not override internal styles) - Follow the spacing system for consistent layouts - Test components across supported browsers and screen sizes - Use semantic colors for their intended purpose - Reference design tokens instead of hardcoded values ### Do Not - Modify component internals without contributing changes back - Create one-off components when an existing component fits - Use brand colors for semantic purposes (error, success) - Skip accessibility requirements for "internal" tools - Mix design system versions across a single application --- ## Contribution Process ### Proposing a New Component 1. **Check existing components** - Verify no existing component solves the need 2. **Create proposal** - Document use case, behavior, variants, accessibility requirements 3. **Design review** - Present to design system team for feedback 4. **Build** - Implement component following system patterns 5. **Review** - Code review + design review + accessibility audit 6. **Document** - Add to component library with usage guidelines 7. **Release** - Publish in next minor version ### Updating an Existing Component 1. **File issue** - Describe the change and justification 2. **Impact assessment** - Identify all instances of current usage 3. **Design + develop** - Implement change with backward compatibility 4. **Migration guide** - Document breaking changes if any 5. **Release** - Publish with changelog entry ### Reporting Issues - File bug reports with reproduction steps and screenshots - Tag with component name and severity - Include browser/OS information for rendering issues