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# Design System Document: The Precision Dashboard

## 1. Overview & Creative North Star
**The Creative North Star: "The Digital Architect"**

This design system moves beyond the generic "SaaS dashboard" aesthetic to create a high-end, editorial experience for desktop applications. While most systems rely on rigid grids and heavy borders, "The Digital Architect" utilizes **Tonal Layering** and **Asymmetric Balance** to guide the user’s eye. 

We break the "template" look by treating the interface as a physical workspace of stacked materials. By leveraging high-contrast typography scales (the interplay between the expressive Manrope and the functional Inter), we ensure that data-dense environments feel breathable, premium, and authoritative.

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## 2. Colors: Tonal Depth & The "No-Line" Rule
Our palette is rooted in deep slates and cool grays, creating a sophisticated environment where the vibrant electric blue (`primary`) acts as a precise surgical tool for user attention.

### The "No-Line" Rule
**Explicit Instruction:** Do not use 1px solid borders to section off major areas of the UI. Structure must be defined through background shifts.
*   **The Technique:** Instead of drawing a line between a sidebar and a content area, place a `surface-container-low` (#f2f3ff) sidebar against a `surface` (#faf8ff) main stage.
*   **Surface Hierarchy:** Treat the UI as layers of stacked paper. 
    *   **Base:** `surface` (#faf8ff)
    *   **Sectioning:** `surface-container` (#eaedff)
    *   **Interactive Cards:** `surface-container-lowest` (#ffffff)
    *   **Floating Menus:** `surface-bright` (#faf8ff) with Glassmorphism.

### The "Glass & Gradient" Rule
To inject "soul" into the tech-focused aesthetic, primary CTAs should not be flat. Use a subtle linear gradient from `primary` (#0040e0) to `primary_container` (#2e5bff) at a 135-degree angle. For floating overlays, use `surface_container_low` at 80% opacity with a `20px` backdrop blur to create a high-end frosted glass effect.

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## 3. Typography: Editorial Authority
We utilize a dual-typeface system to balance character with extreme legibility.

*   **Manrope (Display & Headlines):** Used for large-scale data points and section headers. Its geometric but warm nature provides a modern, "custom" feel.
    *   *Scale:* `display-lg` (3.5rem) down to `headline-sm` (1.5rem).
*   **Inter (Title & Body):** Our functional workhorse. Use Inter for all data-dense areas, labels, and inputs.
    *   *Scale:* `title-lg` (1.375rem) for card titles; `body-md` (0.875rem) for standard text.

**Typographic Intent:** Use `on_surface_variant` (#434656) for secondary body text to create a natural hierarchy that reduces cognitive load without reducing font size.

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## 4. Elevation & Depth: The Layering Principle
We convey importance through **Tonal Lift** rather than structural scaffolding.

*   **The Layering Principle:** Depth is achieved by stacking. A `surface-container-lowest` card sitting on a `surface-container-low` background creates a natural, soft lift.
*   **Ambient Shadows:** When an element must "float" (like a Modal or Popover), use an ultra-diffused shadow:
    *   `box-shadow: 0 12px 40px rgba(19, 27, 46, 0.06);` 
    *   The shadow color is derived from `on_surface` to keep it integrated with the deep slate palette.
*   **The "Ghost Border" Fallback:** If high-contrast accessibility is required, use the `outline_variant` (#c4c5d9) at **15% opacity**. This creates a "suggestion" of a boundary rather than a hard cage.

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## 5. Components: Refined Primitives

### Buttons
*   **Primary:** Gradient fill (`primary` to `primary_container`), white text, `md` (0.375rem) corner radius. Use a `4px` glow shadow of the same color on hover.
*   **Secondary:** `secondary_container` (#d5e3fc) background with `on_secondary_container` (#57657a) text. No border.
*   **Tertiary:** Ghost style. No background/border until hover, then a `surface_container_high` fill.

### Cards & Containers
*   **Strict Rule:** No dividers. Use `xl` (0.75rem) spacing between content groups or a slight background shift to `surface_container_lowest`.
*   **Radius:** Standardize on `lg` (0.5rem) for internal cards and `xl` (0.75rem) for main dashboard widgets.

### Input Fields
*   **State:** Default state uses `surface_container_low` with a "Ghost Border."
*   **Focus:** Transition the border to `primary` (#0040e0) and add a subtle `2px` outer glow.
*   **Typography:** Labels must use `label-md` in `on_surface_variant` (#434656).

### Data Lists
*   Avoid the "striped table" look. Use `body-md` Inter with generous vertical padding. 
*   On hover, a row should transition to `surface_container_highest` (#dae2fd) with a `sm` (0.125rem) left-side accent bar in `primary`.

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## 6. Do’s and Don’ts

### Do
*   **DO** use whitespace as a functional tool. If elements feel crowded, increase the spacing scale rather than adding a border.
*   **DO** use `tertiary` (#993100) sparingly. It is a "warm" disruptor to the "cool" slate palette, reserved only for high-priority alerts or "destructive" secondary actions.
*   **DO** use minimalist line icons with a consistent `1.5px` stroke weight to match the `outline` token's visual weight.

### Don’t
*   **DON'T** use pure black (#000000) for text. Always use `on_surface` (#131b2e) to maintain the "Deep Slate" tonal integrity.
*   **DON'T** use the `DEFAULT` (0.25rem) radius for large containers; it feels dated. Reserve it for small elements like checkboxes or tags.
*   **DON'T** stack more than three levels of surface containers. If you need a fourth level, use a `Glassmorphism` overlay.

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## 7. Signature Interaction: The "Haptic" Hover
Every interactive element (Cards, Buttons, Chips) should feel responsive. Upon hover, elements should not just change color but "lift"—a combination of a `2px` Y-axis shift and a transition from `surface-container-low` to `surface-container-lowest`. This creates a tactile, premium experience that feels custom-built.```