# Visual Design Standards

## Design System Overview
This document establishes the visual design standards for the Chat App project, ensuring consistency across all interfaces, documentation, and marketing materials.

## Brand Identity

### Color Palette
```scss
// Primary Colors
$primary-lime: #a3e635;
$primary-dark: #84cc16;
$primary-light: #bef264;

// Secondary Colors
$secondary-gray: #71717a;      // Steel - muted
$secondary-light-gray: #e5e7eb;
$secondary-dark-gray: #3f3f46;

// Accent Colors - Neon Minimal Palette
$accent-lime: #a3e635;    // Primary/Success
$accent-cyan: #06b6d4;    // Info
$accent-gold: #eab308;    // Warning
$accent-red: #ef4444;     // Error

// Terminal Colors - Neon Minimal
$terminal-bg: #1a1a1a;
$terminal-text: #e5e5e5;
$terminal-accent: #a3e635;  // Lime green
$terminal-info: #06b6d4;    // Cyan
$terminal-error: #ef4444;   // Bright red
$terminal-warning: #eab308; // Gold
$terminal-muted: #71717a;   // Steel
```

### Typography
```css
/* Primary Font Stack */
font-family: 'Inter', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', 'Roboto', sans-serif;

/* Monospace Font Stack (Terminal) */
font-family: 'JetBrains Mono', 'Fira Code', 'Cascadia Code', Monaco, monospace;

/* Heading Scale */
h1: 2.5rem (40px) - font-weight: 700
h2: 2rem (32px) - font-weight: 600
h3: 1.5rem (24px) - font-weight: 600
h4: 1.25rem (20px) - font-weight: 500
h5: 1.125rem (18px) - font-weight: 500
h6: 1rem (16px) - font-weight: 500

/* Body Text */
body: 1rem (16px) - font-weight: 400
small: 0.875rem (14px) - font-weight: 400
```

## UI Components

### Terminal Interface
- **Background**: Dark theme with subtle texture
- **Text**: High contrast monospace fonts
- **Accent Elements**: Minimal use of terminal green (#00ff88)
- **Status Indicators**: Color-coded semantic meaning
- **Animations**: Subtle typing effects and cursor blinks

### Documentation Interface
- **Background**: Clean white/light gray
- **Text**: High readability dark gray on light background
- **Code Blocks**: Syntax highlighted with consistent theme
- **Callouts**: Color-coded for different message types

## Iconography

### Icon Style Guide
- **Style**: Outline icons with 2px stroke weight
- **Size Standards**: 16px, 24px, 32px, 48px variants
- **Color**: Monochrome with semantic color variants
- **Grid System**: Based on 8px grid alignment

### Icon Categories
1. **System Icons**: File operations, settings, navigation
2. **Feature Icons**: Chat, AI, plugins, terminal
3. **Status Icons**: Success, error, warning, info
4. **Brand Icons**: Logo variations and marks

## Layout and Spacing

### Grid System
```css
/* 8px Base Unit Grid */
--spacing-xs: 4px;    /* 0.5 units */
--spacing-sm: 8px;    /* 1 unit */
--spacing-md: 16px;   /* 2 units */
--spacing-lg: 24px;   /* 3 units */
--spacing-xl: 32px;   /* 4 units */
--spacing-2xl: 48px;  /* 6 units */
--spacing-3xl: 64px;  /* 8 units */
```

### Container Widths
- **Mobile**: 100% with 16px padding
- **Tablet**: 768px max-width
- **Desktop**: 1200px max-width
- **Wide**: 1400px max-width

## Animation and Interactions

### Motion Principles
- **Duration**: 150ms for micro-interactions, 300ms for transitions
- **Easing**: cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.0, 0.2, 1) for standard transitions
- **Reduce Motion**: Respect user preferences for reduced motion

### Interactive States
```css
/* Button States */
.button {
  transition: all 150ms ease;
}
.button:hover {
  transform: translateY(-1px);
  box-shadow: 0 4px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}
.button:active {
  transform: translateY(0);
}
```

## Accessibility Standards

### Color Contrast
- **AA Compliance**: Minimum 4.5:1 ratio for normal text
- **AAA Compliance**: 7:1 ratio for enhanced accessibility
- **Large Text**: Minimum 3:1 ratio for 18pt+ text

### Focus Indicators
- **Visible Focus**: Clear focus rings on all interactive elements
- **High Contrast**: Focus indicators work in all themes
- **Skip Links**: Navigation shortcuts for screen readers

## Device Responsiveness

### Breakpoints
```css
/* Mobile First Approach */
@media (min-width: 480px) { /* Small mobile */ }
@media (min-width: 768px) { /* Tablet */ }
@media (min-width: 1024px) { /* Desktop */ }
@media (min-width: 1440px) { /* Large desktop */ }
```

### Adaptive Design
- **Terminal**: Responsive command interface
- **Documentation**: Fluid layouts with readable line lengths
- **Navigation**: Touch-friendly on mobile devices

## Documentation Design

### Code Documentation
- **Syntax Highlighting**: Consistent theme across all platforms
- **Line Numbers**: Optional but recommended for long blocks
- **Copy Buttons**: Easy code copying functionality
- **Language Labels**: Clear language identification

### Diagram Standards
- **Style**: Clean, minimal design with consistent colors
- **Fonts**: System fonts for text within diagrams
- **Arrows**: Consistent arrow styles and weights
- **Spacing**: Adequate whitespace for clarity

## Asset Creation Guidelines

### Image Requirements
- **Format**: SVG for icons, PNG for screenshots, WebP for optimization
- **Resolution**: 2x retina assets for high-DPI displays
- **Compression**: Optimized file sizes without quality loss
- **Alt Text**: Descriptive alternative text for accessibility

### Diagram Creation
- **Tools**: Mermaid for code-based diagrams, Figma for complex layouts
- **Consistency**: Standardized shapes, colors, and typography
- **Export**: Multiple format support (SVG, PNG, PDF)
- **Version Control**: Track diagram changes with code

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*These visual design standards ensure consistency and professionalism across all Chat App project deliverables while supporting accessibility and modern design practices.*