---
id: uber
name: Uber
country: US
category: consumer-tech
homepage: "https://www.uber.com"
primary_color: "#000000"
logo:
  type: simpleicons
  slug: uber
verified: "2026-05-15"
omd: "0.1"
ds:
  name: Base Web
  url: "https://baseweb.design"
  type: system
  description: Uber's React implementation of Base — a living component system.
---

# Design System Inspiration of Uber

## 1. Visual Theme & Atmosphere

Uber's design language is a masterclass in confident minimalism -- a black-and-white universe where every pixel serves a purpose and nothing decorates without earning its place. The entire experience is built on a stark duality: jet black (`#000000`) and pure white (`#ffffff`), with virtually no mid-tone grays diluting the message. This isn't the sterile minimalism of a startup that hasn't finished designing -- it's the deliberate restraint of a brand so established it can afford to whisper.

The signature typeface, UberMove, is a proprietary geometric sans-serif with a distinctly square, engineered quality. Headlines in UberMove Bold at 52px carry the weight of a billboard -- authoritative, direct, unapologetic. The companion face UberMoveText handles body copy and buttons with a slightly softer, more readable character at medium weight (500). Together, they create a typographic system that feels like a transit map: clear, efficient, built for scanning at speed.

What makes Uber's design truly distinctive is its use of full-bleed photography and illustration paired with pill-shaped interactive elements (999px border-radius). Navigation chips, CTA buttons, and category selectors all share this capsule shape, creating a tactile, thumb-friendly interface language that's unmistakably Uber. The illustrations -- warm, slightly stylized scenes of drivers, riders, and cityscapes -- inject humanity into what could otherwise be a cold, monochrome system. The site alternates between white content sections and a full-black footer, with card-based layouts using the gentlest possible shadows (rgba(0,0,0,0.12-0.16)) to create subtle lift without breaking the flat aesthetic.

**Key Characteristics:**
- Pure black-and-white foundation with virtually no mid-tone grays in the UI chrome
- UberMove (headlines) + UberMoveText (body/UI) -- proprietary geometric sans-serif family
- Pill-shaped everything: buttons, chips, nav items all use 999px border-radius
- Warm, human illustrations contrasting the stark monochrome interface
- Card-based layout with whisper-soft shadows (0.12-0.16 opacity)
- 8px spacing grid with compact, information-dense layouts
- Bold photography integrated as full-bleed hero backgrounds
- Black footer anchoring the page with a dark, high-contrast environment

## 2. Color Palette & Roles

### Primary
- **Uber Black** (`#000000`): The defining brand color -- used for primary buttons, headlines, navigation text, and the footer. Not "near-black" or "off-black," but true, uncompromising black.
- **Pure White** (`#ffffff`): The primary surface color and inverse text. Used for page backgrounds, card surfaces, and text on black elements.

### Interactive & Button States
- **Hover Gray** (`#e2e2e2`): White button hover state -- a clean, cool light gray that provides clear feedback without warmth.
- **Hover Light** (`#f3f3f3`): Subtle hover for elevated white buttons -- barely-there gray for gentle interaction feedback.
- **Chip Gray** (`#efefef`): Background for secondary/filter buttons and navigation chips -- a neutral, ultra-light gray.

### Text & Content
- **Body Gray** (`#4b4b4b`): Secondary text and footer links -- a true mid-gray with no warm or cool bias.
- **Muted Gray** (`#afafaf`): Tertiary text, de-emphasized footer links, and placeholder content.

### Borders & Separation
- **Border Black** (`#000000`): Thin 1px borders for structural containment -- used sparingly on dividers and form containers.

### Shadows & Depth
- **Shadow Light** (`rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12)`): Standard card elevation -- a featherweight lift for content cards.
- **Shadow Medium** (`rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.16)`): Slightly stronger elevation for floating action buttons and overlays.
- **Button Press** (`rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08)`): Inset shadow for active/pressed states on secondary buttons.

### Link States
- **Default Link Blue** (`#0000ee`): Standard browser blue for text links with underline -- used in body content.
- **Link White** (`#ffffff`): Links on dark surfaces -- used in footer and dark sections.
- **Link Black** (`#000000`): Links on light surfaces with underline decoration.

### Gradient System
- Uber's design is **entirely gradient-free**. The black/white duality and flat color blocks create all visual hierarchy. No gradients appear anywhere in the system -- every surface is a solid color, every transition is a hard edge or a shadow.

## 3. Typography Rules

### Font Family
- **Headline / Display**: `UberMove`, with fallbacks: `UberMoveText, system-ui, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif`
- **Body / UI**: `UberMoveText`, with fallbacks: `system-ui, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif`

*Note: UberMove and UberMoveText are proprietary typefaces. For external implementations, use `system-ui` or Inter as the closest available substitute. The geometric, square-proportioned character of UberMove can be approximated with Inter or DM Sans.*

### Hierarchy

| Role | Font | Size | Weight | Line Height | Notes |
|------|------|------|--------|-------------|-------|
| Display / Hero | UberMove | 52px (3.25rem) | 700 | 1.23 (tight) | Maximum impact, billboard presence |
| Section Heading | UberMove | 36px (2.25rem) | 700 | 1.22 (tight) | Major section anchors |
| Card Title | UberMove | 32px (2rem) | 700 | 1.25 (tight) | Card and feature headings |
| Sub-heading | UberMove | 24px (1.5rem) | 700 | 1.33 | Secondary section headers |
| Small Heading | UberMove | 20px (1.25rem) | 700 | 1.40 | Compact headings, list titles |
| Nav / UI Large | UberMoveText | 18px (1.13rem) | 500 | 1.33 | Navigation links, prominent UI text |
| Body / Button | UberMoveText | 16px (1rem) | 400-500 | 1.25-1.50 | Standard body text, button labels |
| Caption | UberMoveText | 14px (0.88rem) | 400-500 | 1.14-1.43 | Metadata, descriptions, small links |
| Micro | UberMoveText | 12px (0.75rem) | 400 | 1.67 (relaxed) | Fine print, legal text |

### Principles
- **Bold headlines, medium body**: UberMove headings are exclusively weight 700 (bold) -- every headline hits with billboard force. UberMoveText body and UI text uses 400-500, creating a clear visual hierarchy through weight contrast.
- **Tight heading line-heights**: All headlines use line-heights between 1.22-1.40 -- compact and punchy, designed for scanning rather than reading.
- **Functional typography**: There is no decorative type treatment anywhere. No letter-spacing, no text-transform, no ornamental sizing. Every text element serves a direct communication purpose.
- **Two fonts, strict roles**: UberMove is exclusively for headings. UberMoveText is exclusively for body, buttons, links, and UI. The boundary is never crossed.

## 4. Component Stylings

### Buttons

**Primary Black (CTA)**
- Background: Uber Black (`#000000`)
- Text: Pure White (`#ffffff`)
- Padding: 10px 12px
- Radius: 999px (full pill)
- Outline: none
- Focus: inset ring `rgb(255,255,255) 0px 0px 0px 2px`
- The primary action button -- bold, high-contrast, unmissable

**Secondary White**
- Background: Pure White (`#ffffff`)
- Text: Uber Black (`#000000`)
- Padding: 10px 12px
- Radius: 999px (full pill)
- Hover: background shifts to Hover Gray (`#e2e2e2`)
- Focus: background shifts to Hover Gray, inset ring appears
- Used on dark surfaces or as a secondary action alongside Primary Black

**Chip / Filter**
- Background: Chip Gray (`#efefef`)
- Text: Uber Black (`#000000`)
- Padding: 14px 16px
- Radius: 999px (full pill)
- Active: inset shadow `rgba(0,0,0,0.08)`
- Navigation chips, category selectors, filter toggles

**Floating Action**
- Background: Pure White (`#ffffff`)
- Text: Uber Black (`#000000`)
- Padding: 14px
- Radius: 999px (full pill)
- Shadow: `rgba(0,0,0,0.16) 0px 2px 8px 0px`
- Transform: `translateY(2px)` slight offset
- Hover: background shifts to `#f3f3f3`
- Map controls, scroll-to-top, floating CTAs

### Cards & Containers
- Background: Pure White (`#ffffff`) on white pages; no distinct card background differentiation
- Border: none by default -- cards are defined by shadow, not stroke
- Radius: 8px for standard content cards; 12px for featured/promoted cards
- Shadow: `rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0px 4px 16px 0px` for standard lift
- Cards are content-dense with minimal internal padding
- Image-led cards use full-bleed imagery with text overlay or below

### Inputs & Forms
- Text: Uber Black (`#000000`)
- Background: Pure White (`#ffffff`)
- Border: 1px solid Black (`#000000`) -- the only place visible borders appear prominently
- Radius: 8px
- Padding: standard comfortable spacing
- Focus: no extracted custom focus state -- relies on standard browser focus ring

### Navigation
- Sticky top navigation with white background
- Logo: Uber wordmark/icon at 24x24px in black
- Links: UberMoveText at 14-18px, weight 500, in Uber Black
- Pill-shaped nav chips with Chip Gray (`#efefef`) background for category navigation ("Ride", "Drive", "Business", "Uber Eats")
- Menu toggle: circular button with 50% border-radius
- Mobile: hamburger menu pattern

### Image Treatment
- Warm, hand-illustrated scenes (not photographs for feature sections)
- Illustration style: slightly stylized people, warm color palette within illustrations, contemporary vibe
- Hero sections use bold photography or illustration as full-width backgrounds
- QR codes for app download CTAs
- All imagery uses standard 8px or 12px border-radius when contained in cards

### Distinctive Components

**Category Pill Navigation**
- Horizontal row of pill-shaped buttons for top-level navigation ("Ride", "Drive", "Business", "Uber Eats", "About")
- Each pill: Chip Gray background, black text, 999px radius
- Active state indicated by black background with white text (inversion)

**Hero with Dual Action**
- Split hero: text/CTA on left, map/illustration on right
- Two input fields side by side for pickup/destination
- "See prices" CTA button in black pill

**Plan-Ahead Cards**
- Cards promoting features like "Uber Reserve" and trip planning
- Illustration-heavy with warm, human-centric imagery
- Black CTA buttons with white text at bottom

## 5. Layout Principles

### Spacing System
- Base unit: 8px
- Scale: 4px, 6px, 8px, 10px, 12px, 14px, 16px, 18px, 20px, 24px, 32px
- Button padding: 10px 12px (compact) or 14px 16px (comfortable)
- Card internal padding: approximately 24-32px
- Section vertical spacing: generous but efficient -- approximately 64-96px between major sections

### Grid & Container
- Max container width: approximately 1136px, centered
- Hero: split layout with text left, visual right
- Feature sections: 2-column card grids or full-width single-column
- Footer: multi-column link grid on black background
- Full-width sections extending to viewport edges

### Whitespace Philosophy
- **Efficient, not airy**: Uber's whitespace is functional -- enough to separate, never enough to feel empty. This is transit-system spacing: compact, clear, purpose-driven.
- **Content-dense cards**: Cards pack information tightly with minimal internal spacing, relying on shadow and radius to define boundaries.
- **Section breathing room**: Major sections get generous vertical spacing, but within sections, elements are closely grouped.

### Border Radius Scale
- Sharp (0px): No square corners used in interactive elements
- Standard (8px): Content cards, input fields, listboxes
- Comfortable (12px): Featured cards, larger containers, link cards
- Full Pill (999px): All buttons, chips, navigation items, pills
- Circle (50%): Avatar images, icon containers, circular controls

## 6. Depth & Elevation

| Level | Treatment | Use |
|-------|-----------|-----|
| Flat (Level 0) | No shadow, solid background | Page background, inline content, text sections |
| Subtle (Level 1) | `rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0px 4px 16px` | Standard content cards, feature blocks |
| Medium (Level 2) | `rgba(0,0,0,0.16) 0px 4px 16px` | Elevated cards, overlay elements |
| Floating (Level 3) | `rgba(0,0,0,0.16) 0px 2px 8px` + translateY(2px) | Floating action buttons, map controls |
| Pressed (Level 4) | `rgba(0,0,0,0.08) inset` (999px spread) | Active/pressed button states |
| Focus Ring | `rgb(255,255,255) 0px 0px 0px 2px inset` | Keyboard focus indicators |

**Shadow Philosophy**: Uber uses shadow purely as a structural tool, never decoratively. Shadows are always black at very low opacity (0.08-0.16), creating the bare minimum lift needed to separate content layers. The blur radii are moderate (8-16px) -- enough to feel natural but never dramatic. There are no colored shadows, no layered shadow stacks, and no ambient glow effects. Depth is communicated more through the black/white section contrast than through shadow elevation.

## 7. Do's and Don'ts

### Do
- Use true black (`#000000`) and pure white (`#ffffff`) as the primary palette -- the stark contrast IS Uber
- Use 999px border-radius for all buttons, chips, and pill-shaped navigation elements
- Keep all headings in UberMove Bold (700) for billboard-level impact
- Use whisper-soft shadows (0.12-0.16 opacity) for card elevation -- barely visible
- Maintain the compact, information-dense layout style -- Uber prioritizes efficiency over airiness
- Use warm, human-centric illustrations to soften the monochrome interface
- Apply 8px radius for content cards and 12px for featured containers
- Use UberMoveText at weight 500 for navigation and prominent UI text
- Pair black primary buttons with white secondary buttons for dual-action layouts

### Don't
- Don't introduce color into the UI chrome -- Uber's interface is strictly black, white, and gray
- Don't use rounded corners less than 999px on buttons -- the full-pill shape is a core identity element
- Don't apply heavy shadows or drop shadows with high opacity -- depth is whisper-subtle
- Don't use serif fonts anywhere -- Uber's typography is exclusively geometric sans-serif
- Don't create airy, spacious layouts with excessive whitespace -- Uber's density is intentional
- Don't use gradients or color overlays -- every surface is a flat, solid color
- Don't mix UberMove into body text or UberMoveText into headlines -- the hierarchy is strict
- Don't use decorative borders -- borders are functional (inputs, dividers) or absent entirely
- Don't soften the black/white contrast with off-whites or near-blacks -- the duality is deliberate

## 8. Responsive Behavior

### Breakpoints
| Name | Width | Key Changes |
|------|-------|-------------|
| Mobile Small | 320px | Minimum layout, single column, stacked inputs, compact typography |
| Mobile | 600px | Standard mobile, stacked layout, hamburger nav |
| Tablet Small | 768px | Two-column grids begin, expanded card layouts |
| Tablet | 1119px | Full tablet layout, side-by-side hero content |
| Desktop Small | 1120px | Desktop grid activates, horizontal nav pills |
| Desktop | 1136px | Full desktop layout, maximum container width, split hero |

### Touch Targets
- All pill buttons: minimum 44px height (10-14px vertical padding + line-height)
- Navigation chips: generous 14px 16px padding for comfortable thumb tapping
- Circular controls (menu, close): 50% radius ensures large, easy-to-hit targets
- Card surfaces serve as full-area touch targets on mobile

### Collapsing Strategy
- **Navigation**: Horizontal pill nav collapses to hamburger menu with circular toggle
- **Hero**: Split layout (text + map/visual) stacks to single column -- text above, visual below
- **Input fields**: Side-by-side pickup/destination inputs stack vertically
- **Feature cards**: 2-column grid collapses to full-width stacked cards
- **Headings**: 52px display scales down through 36px, 32px, 24px, 20px
- **Footer**: Multi-column link grid collapses to accordion or stacked single column
- **Category pills**: Horizontal scroll with overflow on smaller screens

### Image Behavior
- Illustrations scale proportionally within their containers
- Hero imagery maintains aspect ratio, may crop on smaller screens
- QR code sections hide on mobile (app download shifts to direct store links)
- Card imagery maintains 8-12px border radius at all sizes

## 9. Agent Prompt Guide

### Quick Color Reference
- Primary Button: "Uber Black (#000000)"
- Page Background: "Pure White (#ffffff)"
- Button Text (on black): "Pure White (#ffffff)"
- Button Text (on white): "Uber Black (#000000)"
- Secondary Text: "Body Gray (#4b4b4b)"
- Tertiary Text: "Muted Gray (#afafaf)"
- Chip Background: "Chip Gray (#efefef)"
- Hover State: "Hover Gray (#e2e2e2)"
- Card Shadow: "rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0px 4px 16px"
- Footer Background: "Uber Black (#000000)"

### Example Component Prompts
- "Create a hero section on Pure White (#ffffff) with a headline at 52px UberMove Bold (700), line-height 1.23. Use Uber Black (#000000) text. Add a subtitle in Body Gray (#4b4b4b) at 16px UberMoveText weight 400 with 1.50 line-height. Place an Uber Black (#000000) pill CTA button with Pure White text, 999px radius, padding 10px 12px."
- "Design a category navigation bar with horizontal pill buttons. Each pill: Chip Gray (#efefef) background, Uber Black (#000000) text, 14px 16px padding, 999px border-radius. Active pill inverts to Uber Black background with Pure White text. Use UberMoveText at 14px weight 500."
- "Build a feature card on Pure White (#ffffff) with 8px border-radius and shadow rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0px 4px 16px. Title in UberMove at 24px weight 700, description in Body Gray (#4b4b4b) at 16px UberMoveText. Add a black pill CTA button at the bottom."
- "Create a dark footer on Uber Black (#000000) with Pure White (#ffffff) heading text in UberMove at 20px weight 700. Footer links in Muted Gray (#afafaf) at 14px UberMoveText. Links hover to Pure White. Multi-column grid layout."
- "Design a floating action button with Pure White (#ffffff) background, 999px radius, 14px padding, and shadow rgba(0,0,0,0.16) 0px 2px 8px. Hover shifts background to #f3f3f3. Use for scroll-to-top or map controls."

### Iteration Guide
1. Focus on ONE component at a time
2. Reference the strict black/white palette -- "use Uber Black (#000000)" not "make it dark"
3. Always specify 999px radius for buttons and pills -- this is non-negotiable for the Uber identity
4. Describe the font family explicitly -- "UberMove Bold for the heading, UberMoveText Medium for the label"
5. For shadows, use "whisper shadow (rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0px 4px 16px)" -- never heavy drop shadows
6. Keep layouts compact and information-dense -- Uber is efficient, not airy
7. Illustrations should be warm and human -- describe "stylized people in warm tones" not abstract shapes
8. Pair black CTAs with white secondaries for balanced dual-action layouts

## 10. Voice & Tone

Uber's voice is **mobility-platform-direct and dual-audience-aware.** Two parallel audiences — riders ("차량 서비스") and drivers ("운전") — with distinct CTAs. Pure black `#000` primary CTA + 999px pill nav signals "modern mobility company."

| Context | Tone |
|---|---|
| CTA | Verb. "Sign up to ride", "Sign up to drive", "Get started" |
| Marketing | Dual-audience. Rider page ≠ Driver page |
| Documentation | Sparse — consumer product |
| Error | Polite. "Pickup location unavailable. Try a different address." |

**Voice samples**
- Marketing nav (KR): *"차량 서비스"* / *"운전"* <!-- verified: uber.com/kr/ko 2026-05 -->

**Forbidden phrases.** "Revolutionary mobility". Aggressive Lyft-comparison framing.

## 11. Brand Narrative

Uber was founded **2009** in San Francisco — originally as **UberCab** — by **Garrett Camp** (Canadian entrepreneur, **co-founder of StumbleUpon**) and **Travis Kalanick** ([Travis Kalanick — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travis_Kalanick), [Garrett Camp — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrett_Camp)). **Camp had become frustrated with SF taxis and expensive black-car services**, conceived a smartphone-app to hail luxury vehicles directly; discussed with Kalanick who joined as "mega advisor." Neither founder wanted to run the company directly; **Ryan Graves brought on as launch CEO** for **10 months** before being replaced by **Kalanick** (Camp + Graves transferred a large portion of shares to Kalanick on transition). Pioneered ride-hailing → expanded to **Eats / Freight / Delivery**. **2018 rebrand by Wolff Olins** + Uber in-house team — 10 months development, introduced bespoke **Uber Move** typeface + monochrome black-on-white identity + bespoke **Safety Blue** accent ([Design Week — Uber rebrand 2018](https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/17-23-september-2018/uber-rebrand-looks-to-reflect-how-the-taxi-app-is-changing/), [Dezeen — Uber brings back the U](https://www.dezeen.com/2018/09/14/uber-rebrand-wolff-olins-black-white-wordmark-logo-typography/), [Wolff Olins — Views](https://www.wolffolins.com/views/the-medias-take-on-ubers-new-brand)). **NYSE IPO May 10 2019** under ticker **UBER** at **$45/share** raising **$8.1B** at **~$75B valuation** — biggest IPO of 2019, top-10 ever; closed first day at **$41.57 = biggest first-day dollar loss in U.S. IPO history** ([Uber IR — IPO pricing](https://investor.uber.com/news-events/news/press-release-details/2019/Uber-Announces-Pricing-of-Initial-Public-Offering/default.aspx), [Bloomberg — Uber drops after $8.1B IPO](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-10/uber-drops-after-raising-8-1-billion-in-biggest-ipo-of-2019)). The brand evolution post-2017 shifted from aggressive growth-at-all-costs to "platform for mobility" with operational + safety focus — **Dara Khosrowshahi** (current CEO, ex-Expedia) succeeded Kalanick **August 2017**.

## 12. Principles

1. **Dual-audience.** Riders and drivers are first-class. *UI implication:* segment nav clearly separated.
2. **Pure black `#000` primary.** *UI implication:* preserve achromatic primary; don't introduce brand color.
3. **999px pill nav.** *UI implication:* nav buttons fully pill on white.
4. **Black + white dual-action.** *UI implication:* paired CTAs use black/white for balance.
5. **Warm illustrations.** *UI implication:* never abstract shapes; warm humans.

## 13. Personas

*Personas are fictional archetypes informed by Uber user segments (urban riders, drivers, business travelers), not individual people.*

**Sofia Park, 31, Seoul.** Daily Uber rider. Cares about ETA accuracy + driver rating.

**Marcus Webb, 38, San Francisco.** Business traveler. Uber for client meetings + airport transfers.

**Henrik Nielsen, 45, Copenhagen.** Part-time Uber driver. Cares about earnings transparency + cancellation fees.

## 14. States

| State | Treatment |
|---|---|
| **Empty (no rides)** | "Request your first ride" CTA |
| **Empty (no driver activity)** | "Go online" CTA for drivers |
| **Loading (matching)** | Real-time map with car icon |
| **Loading (price)** | Surge indicator if active |
| **Error (no drivers)** | "No drivers nearby. Try Uber Comfort instead." |
| **Error (payment)** | "Payment failed. Try a different method." |
| **Success (booked)** | Driver info + ETA + map |
| **Success (rated)** | Subtle confirmation |
| **Skeleton (ride history)** | Black/white placeholders |
| **Disabled (account verification)** | Verify link |
| **Loading (long match)** | Persistent progress with cancel option |

## 15. Motion & Easing

| Token | Value | Use |
|---|---|---|
| `motion-instant` | 0ms | Selection |
| `motion-fast` | 150ms | Hover |
| `motion-standard` | 250ms | Modal, panel |
| `motion-map-tracking` | continuous | Real-time map updates |

Standard cubic-bezier; no bounce — operational register. `prefers-reduced-motion: reduce` removes map auto-pan.

---

**Verified:** 2026-05-08 (omd:migrate run 60 — Apple-tier)
**Tier 1 sources:** uber.com/kr/ko home + /about (live DOM via playwright — **all-pill 999px chrome with three-fill canvas-awareness**: Header `#000` Black + `#fff` text 999px / 36-38px / 10×12 / 14px·500; Header Inverse `#fff` + `#000` text (Sign-up); Hero `#addec9` **Uber Mint Green** + `#000` text 999px / 48px / 14×16 / 16px·500 soft-pastel signature).
**Tier 2 sources:** styles.refero.design / getdesign.md — no record.
**Tier 2 (Philosophy/founders/rebrand/IPO):** Wikipedia (Travis Kalanick, Garrett Camp), Britannica, Design Week / Dezeen / Wolff Olins Views (2018 rebrand), Uber IR (IPO pricing), Bloomberg (2019-05-10 first-day loss), CNBC.
**Style ref:** `apple` (luxury minimal). **Conflicts unresolved:** none. **Earlier addition:** Inverse White Sign-up + Mint Green `#addec9` hero accent + 48px hero tier missed by prior pass.
