--- version: alpha name: Linear description: "A near-black product-focused marketing canvas built around #010102 (the deepest dark surface of any tool in this collection), light gray text (#f7f8f8), and the signature Linear lavender-blue (#5e6ad2) used as the single chromatic accent. The system reads as software-craft documentation: dense, technical, and quietly luxurious. Display type is set in the Linear custom sans (SF Pro Display fallback) at 500–700 with measured negative tracking. Cards live as charcoal panels (#0f1011) with hairline borders. The accent lavender appears on the brand mark, focus rings, and a few intentional CTAs — never decoratively. Page rhythm leans on product UI screenshots framed in dark panels rather than atmospheric color." colors: primary: "#5e6ad2" on-primary: "#ffffff" primary-hover: "#828fff" primary-focus: "#5e69d1" ink: "#f7f8f8" ink-muted: "#d0d6e0" ink-subtle: "#8a8f98" ink-tertiary: "#62666d" canvas: "#010102" surface-1: "#0f1011" surface-2: "#141516" surface-3: "#18191a" surface-4: "#191a1b" hairline: "#23252a" hairline-strong: "#34343a" hairline-tertiary: "#3e3e44" inverse-canvas: "#ffffff" inverse-surface-1: "#f5f6f6" inverse-surface-2: "#f6f7f7" inverse-ink: "#000000" brand-secure: "#7a7fad" semantic-success: "#27a644" semantic-overlay: "#000000" typography: display-xl: fontFamily: Linear Display fontSize: 80px fontWeight: 600 lineHeight: 1.05 letterSpacing: -3.0px display-lg: fontFamily: Linear Display fontSize: 56px fontWeight: 600 lineHeight: 1.10 letterSpacing: -1.8px display-md: fontFamily: Linear Display fontSize: 40px fontWeight: 600 lineHeight: 1.15 letterSpacing: -1.0px headline: fontFamily: Linear Display fontSize: 28px fontWeight: 600 lineHeight: 1.20 letterSpacing: -0.6px card-title: fontFamily: Linear Display fontSize: 22px fontWeight: 500 lineHeight: 1.25 letterSpacing: -0.4px subhead: fontFamily: Linear Display fontSize: 20px fontWeight: 400 lineHeight: 1.40 letterSpacing: -0.2px body-lg: fontFamily: Linear Text fontSize: 18px fontWeight: 400 lineHeight: 1.50 letterSpacing: -0.1px body: fontFamily: Linear Text fontSize: 16px fontWeight: 400 lineHeight: 1.50 letterSpacing: -0.05px body-sm: fontFamily: Linear Text fontSize: 14px fontWeight: 400 lineHeight: 1.50 letterSpacing: 0 caption: fontFamily: Linear Text fontSize: 12px fontWeight: 400 lineHeight: 1.40 letterSpacing: 0 button: fontFamily: Linear Text fontSize: 14px fontWeight: 500 lineHeight: 1.20 letterSpacing: 0 eyebrow: fontFamily: Linear Text fontSize: 13px fontWeight: 500 lineHeight: 1.30 letterSpacing: 0.4px mono: fontFamily: Linear Mono fontSize: 13px fontWeight: 400 lineHeight: 1.50 letterSpacing: 0 rounded: xs: 4px sm: 6px md: 8px lg: 12px xl: 16px xxl: 24px pill: 9999px full: 9999px spacing: xxs: 4px xs: 8px sm: 12px md: 16px lg: 24px xl: 32px xxl: 48px section: 96px components: button-primary: backgroundColor: "{colors.primary}" textColor: "{colors.on-primary}" typography: "{typography.button}" rounded: "{rounded.md}" padding: 8px 14px button-primary-pressed: backgroundColor: "{colors.primary-focus}" textColor: "{colors.on-primary}" typography: "{typography.button}" rounded: "{rounded.md}" button-primary-hover: backgroundColor: "{colors.primary-hover}" textColor: "{colors.on-primary}" typography: "{typography.button}" rounded: "{rounded.md}" button-secondary: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-1}" textColor: "{colors.ink}" typography: "{typography.button}" rounded: "{rounded.md}" padding: 8px 14px button-tertiary: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.ink}" typography: "{typography.button}" rounded: "{rounded.md}" padding: 8px 14px button-inverse: backgroundColor: "{colors.inverse-canvas}" textColor: "{colors.inverse-ink}" typography: "{typography.button}" rounded: "{rounded.md}" padding: 8px 14px pricing-card: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-1}" textColor: "{colors.ink}" typography: "{typography.body}" rounded: "{rounded.lg}" padding: 24px pricing-card-featured: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-2}" textColor: "{colors.ink}" typography: "{typography.body}" rounded: "{rounded.lg}" padding: 24px feature-card: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-1}" textColor: "{colors.ink}" typography: "{typography.body}" rounded: "{rounded.lg}" padding: 24px product-screenshot-card: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-1}" textColor: "{colors.ink}" typography: "{typography.body}" rounded: "{rounded.xl}" padding: 24px testimonial-card: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-1}" textColor: "{colors.ink}" typography: "{typography.body-lg}" rounded: "{rounded.lg}" padding: 32px customer-logo-tile: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.ink-subtle}" typography: "{typography.caption}" rounded: "{rounded.xs}" padding: 16px text-input: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-1}" textColor: "{colors.ink}" typography: "{typography.body}" rounded: "{rounded.md}" padding: 8px 12px text-input-focused: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-1}" textColor: "{colors.ink}" typography: "{typography.body}" rounded: "{rounded.md}" padding: 8px 12px pricing-tab-default: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.ink-subtle}" typography: "{typography.button}" rounded: "{rounded.pill}" padding: 6px 14px pricing-tab-selected: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-2}" textColor: "{colors.ink}" typography: "{typography.button}" rounded: "{rounded.pill}" padding: 6px 14px cta-banner: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-1}" textColor: "{colors.ink}" typography: "{typography.headline}" rounded: "{rounded.lg}" padding: 48px changelog-row: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.ink}" typography: "{typography.body}" rounded: "{rounded.xs}" padding: 24px 0 status-badge: backgroundColor: "{colors.surface-2}" textColor: "{colors.ink-muted}" typography: "{typography.caption}" rounded: "{rounded.pill}" padding: 2px 8px top-nav: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.ink}" typography: "{typography.body-sm}" rounded: "{rounded.xs}" height: 56px footer: backgroundColor: "{colors.canvas}" textColor: "{colors.ink-subtle}" typography: "{typography.caption}" rounded: "{rounded.xs}" padding: 64px 32px --- ## Overview Linear's marketing canvas is the deepest dark surface in this collection — `{colors.canvas}` is #010102, essentially pure black with a faint blue tint. On top sits a four-step surface ladder (`{colors.surface-1}` through `{colors.surface-4}`) for cards, panels, and lifted tiles, with hairline borders running from `{colors.hairline}` (#23252a) up through `{colors.hairline-strong}` and `{colors.hairline-tertiary}`. Light gray text (`{colors.ink}` #f7f8f8) carries the body and headlines. The single chromatic accent is **Linear lavender-blue** `{colors.primary}` (#5e6ad2) — used on the brand mark, focus rings, and the primary CTA button. A lighter hover state (`{colors.primary-hover}` #828fff) and a focus-tinted variant (`{colors.primary-focus}` #5e69d1) extend the same hue. Linear avoids saturated greens, oranges, reds, etc. on the marketing canvas — the only semantic color is `{colors.semantic-success}` (#27a644) for status pills and the rare success indicator. Display type runs Linear's custom sans (with `SF Pro Display` fallback) at weight 500–700 with negative letter-spacing scaling from -3.0px at 80px down to 0 at body. The body family is Linear's text cut, and a Linear Mono is reserved for code snippets in product screenshots. The page rhythm is **dense product screenshots** — Linear's marketing leads with high-fidelity captures of the product UI (issue list, project view, dashboard) framed in `{colors.surface-1}` panels with `{rounded.xl}` 16px corners. The chrome is intentionally minimal so the app screenshots can do the heavy lifting. **Key Characteristics:** - **Dark-canvas marketing system** — `{colors.canvas}` (#010102) is the deepest dark in this collection. - **Lavender-blue brand accent** (`{colors.primary}` #5e6ad2) — used scarcely on brand mark, focus, and the primary CTA. - Four-step surface ladder (canvas → surface-1 → surface-2 → surface-3 → surface-4) carries hierarchy without shadow. - Display tracking pulls aggressively negative (-3.0px at 80px); body holds at -0.05px. - Cards use `{rounded.lg}` 12px corners with 1px hairline borders — never pill, rarely 16px. - **Product UI screenshots** dominate the page. The marketing chrome is a dark frame for the app. - No second chromatic color. No atmospheric gradients. No spotlight cards. ## Colors > Source pages: linear.app (home), /intake, /pricing, /contact/sales, /build. ### Brand & Accent - **Lavender-Blue** ({colors.primary}): The signature Linear accent — primary CTA, brand mark, link emphasis. - **Lavender Hover** ({colors.primary-hover}): Lighter lavender (#828fff) — hovered state of the primary CTA. - **Lavender Focus** ({colors.primary-focus}): Focus-ring tint (#5e69d1) — focused inputs, focused buttons. - **Brand Secure** ({colors.brand-secure}): Muted lavender-gray (#7a7fad) — used in "Linear Security" surfaces. ### Surface - **Canvas** ({colors.canvas}): Default page background — #010102, near-pure black with a faint blue tint. - **Surface 1** ({colors.surface-1}): One step above canvas — feature cards, pricing cards, product screenshot panels. - **Surface 2** ({colors.surface-2}): Two steps above — featured pricing card, hovered cards. - **Surface 3** ({colors.surface-3}): Three steps above — line-tertiary backgrounds, sub-nav. - **Surface 4** ({colors.surface-4}): Four steps above — bg-level-3, deepest lifted surface. - **Hairline** ({colors.hairline}): 1px borders on cards and dividers. - **Hairline Strong** ({colors.hairline-strong}): Stronger 1px borders — input focus rings. - **Hairline Tertiary** ({colors.hairline-tertiary}): Tertiary borders for nested surfaces. - **Inverse Canvas** ({colors.inverse-canvas}): Pure white — surface of the inverse pill CTA on a small set of section openers. - **Inverse Surface 1** ({colors.inverse-surface-1}): One step above inverse canvas. - **Inverse Surface 2** ({colors.inverse-surface-2}): Two steps above inverse canvas. ### Text - **Ink** ({colors.ink}): All headlines and emphasized body type — light gray #f7f8f8. - **Ink Muted** ({colors.ink-muted}): Secondary type at #d0d6e0 — meta info on hero panels. - **Ink Subtle** ({colors.ink-subtle}): Tertiary type at #8a8f98 — deselected pricing tabs, footer columns. - **Ink Tertiary** ({colors.ink-tertiary}): Quaternary at #62666d — disabled, footnotes. ### Semantic - **Success Green** ({colors.semantic-success}): Status pills, success indicators. The only semantic color on marketing. - **Overlay** ({colors.semantic-overlay}): Pure black overlay scrim for modals. ## Typography ### Font Family - **Linear Display** — Linear's custom display sans; fallback `SF Pro Display, -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto`. Carries display-xl through subhead. - **Linear Text** — Linear's custom text sans (a slightly different cut tuned for body sizes); same fallback stack. Carries body sizes, button labels, captions. - **Linear Mono** — Linear's custom mono; fallback `ui-monospace, SF Mono, Menlo`. Used for code snippets in product screenshots and for status / ID tokens. The marketing surface treats Display and Text as one continuous voice; the family change is silent. ### Hierarchy | Token | Size | Weight | Line Height | Letter Spacing | Use | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | `{typography.display-xl}` | 80px | 600 | 1.05 | -3.0px | Largest hero headline | | `{typography.display-lg}` | 56px | 600 | 1.10 | -1.8px | Section opener headlines | | `{typography.display-md}` | 40px | 600 | 1.15 | -1.0px | Sub-section headlines | | `{typography.headline}` | 28px | 600 | 1.20 | -0.6px | Pricing tier titles, CTA banner heading | | `{typography.card-title}` | 22px | 500 | 1.25 | -0.4px | Feature card title | | `{typography.subhead}` | 20px | 400 | 1.40 | -0.2px | Lead body, intro paragraphs | | `{typography.body-lg}` | 18px | 400 | 1.50 | -0.1px | Hero subhead, lead paragraphs | | `{typography.body}` | 16px | 400 | 1.50 | -0.05px | Default body | | `{typography.body-sm}` | 14px | 400 | 1.50 | 0 | Card body, footer columns | | `{typography.caption}` | 12px | 400 | 1.40 | 0 | Captions, meta, status | | `{typography.button}` | 14px | 500 | 1.20 | 0 | All button labels | | `{typography.eyebrow}` | 13px | 500 | 1.30 | 0.4px | Section eyebrow (slight positive tracking) | | `{typography.mono}` | 13px | 400 | 1.50 | 0 | Linear Mono for code in product screenshots | ### Principles - **Aggressive negative tracking on display** (-3.0px at 80px ≈ 4% of size). - **Single voice from display to body.** Display-xl at 600 → body at 400 — same family, narrower weights. - **Eyebrow uses positive tracking** (+0.4px) — contrast against the negative-tracked display marks the eyebrow as taxonomy. - **Mono only in code contexts.** Linear Mono lives inside product screenshots — not on marketing chrome. ### Note on Font Substitutes Linear's custom typeface isn't publicly distributed; the documented fallback `SF Pro Display, -apple-system, system-ui` is the recommended substitute on macOS. For cross-platform implementation, **Inter** at weight 500 / 600 / 700 is the closest free substitute. **Geist Sans** is also viable. For mono, **JetBrains Mono** or **Geist Mono** at weight 400 closely approximates Linear Mono. ## Layout ### Spacing System - **Base unit**: 4px. - **Tokens (front matter)**: `{spacing.xxs}` 4px · `{spacing.xs}` 8px · `{spacing.sm}` 12px · `{spacing.md}` 16px · `{spacing.lg}` 24px · `{spacing.xl}` 32px · `{spacing.xxl}` 48px · `{spacing.section}` 96px. - Card interior padding: `{spacing.lg}` 24px on feature/pricing cards; `{spacing.xl}` 32px on testimonial cards; `{spacing.xxl}` 48px on CTA banners. - Pill button padding: 8px vertical · 14px horizontal — Linear's compact button spec. - Form input padding: 8px vertical · 12px horizontal. ### Grid & Container - Max content width sits around 1280px. - Card grids are 3-up at desktop, 2-up at tablet, 1-up at mobile. - Pricing tier grid is 3-up; comparison strip below shows checkmarks per tier. - Product screenshot panels span full content width — they're the protagonist. ### Whitespace Philosophy The dark canvas IS the whitespace. Sections separate by lift onto surface-1 panels, not by gaps in white. Within a panel, generous `{spacing.lg}` 24px gaps between content blocks; `{spacing.section}` 96px between sections. ## Elevation & Depth | Level | Treatment | Use | |---|---|---| | 0 (flat) | No shadow, no border | Default for body type, hero text, footer | | 1 (charcoal lift) | `{colors.surface-1}` background on canvas, 1px `{colors.hairline}` | Default cards, product panels | | 2 (surface-2 lift) | `{colors.surface-2}` background, 1px `{colors.hairline-strong}` | Featured pricing card, hovered cards | | 3 (surface-3 lift) | `{colors.surface-3}` background | Sub-nav, dropdown menus | | 4 (focus ring) | 2px `{colors.primary-focus}` outline at 50% opacity | Focused input, focused button | Linear's depth is carried by surface ladder + hairline borders. The brand resists drop shadows on dark almost entirely. ### Decorative Depth - **Product UI screenshots** dominate as decorative depth. - **No atmospheric gradients, no spotlight cards.** - **Subtle white edge highlight** on the top edge of lifted panels — gives the dark surface a faint "pixel rendered" feel. ## Shapes ### Border Radius Scale | Token | Value | Use | |---|---|---| | `{rounded.xs}` | 4px | Small chips, status badges | | `{rounded.sm}` | 6px | Inline tags | | `{rounded.md}` | 8px | All buttons, form inputs | | `{rounded.lg}` | 12px | Pricing cards, feature cards, testimonial cards | | `{rounded.xl}` | 16px | Product screenshot panels | | `{rounded.xxl}` | 24px | Oversized CTA banners (rare) | | `{rounded.pill}` | 9999px | Pricing tab toggles, status pills | | `{rounded.full}` | 9999px | Avatar circles | ### Photography & Illustration Geometry - Product UI screenshots dominate; they sit in `{rounded.xl}` 16px tiles with `{spacing.lg}` 24px outer padding. - Customer logo tiles render at small sizes (~24px logo height) on `{colors.canvas}` with no border. - Avatar circles in testimonial cards use `{rounded.full}` at 32–40px sizes. ## Components ### Buttons **`button-primary`** — Lavender CTA. The default primary CTA across all pages. - Background `{colors.primary}`, text `{colors.on-primary}`, type `{typography.button}`, padding 8px 14px, rounded `{rounded.md}`. - Pressed state lives in `button-primary-pressed` (background shifts to `{colors.primary-focus}`). - Hover state lives in `button-primary-hover` (background shifts to `{colors.primary-hover}` lighter lavender). **`button-secondary`** — Charcoal button. Used for secondary CTAs ("Sign in", "Read changelog"). - Background `{colors.surface-1}`, text `{colors.ink}`, type `{typography.button}`, padding 8px 14px, rounded `{rounded.md}`. 1px `{colors.hairline}` border. **`button-tertiary`** — Plain text button. - Background `{colors.canvas}`, text `{colors.ink}`, type `{typography.button}`, rounded `{rounded.md}`, padding 8px 14px. **`button-inverse`** — White-on-dark inverse CTA. - Background `{colors.inverse-canvas}`, text `{colors.inverse-ink}`, type `{typography.button}`, rounded `{rounded.md}`, padding 8px 14px. ### Pricing Tabs **`pricing-tab-default`** + **`pricing-tab-selected`** — Pill-toggle on `/pricing`. - Default: `{colors.canvas}` background, `{colors.ink-subtle}` text, rounded `{rounded.pill}`, padding 6px 14px. - Selected: `{colors.surface-2}` background, `{colors.ink}` text — selected = surface lift. ### Cards & Containers **`pricing-card`** — Each tier on `/pricing`. - Background `{colors.surface-1}`, text `{colors.ink}`, type `{typography.body}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding 24px. 1px `{colors.hairline}` border. **`pricing-card-featured`** — Recommended tier — surface lift to surface-2. - Background `{colors.surface-2}`, otherwise identical structure. **`feature-card`** — Generic feature highlight tile. - Background `{colors.surface-1}`, text `{colors.ink}`, type `{typography.body}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding 24px. **`product-screenshot-card`** — The dominant card type — frames a high-fidelity Linear app UI screenshot. - Background `{colors.surface-1}`, text `{colors.ink}`, type `{typography.body}`, rounded `{rounded.xl}`, padding 24px. **`testimonial-card`** — Customer quote with avatar + name + role. - Background `{colors.surface-1}`, text `{colors.ink}`, type `{typography.body-lg}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding 32px. **`customer-logo-tile`** — Small tile in the customer marquee. - Background `{colors.canvas}`, text `{colors.ink-subtle}`, type `{typography.caption}`, rounded `{rounded.xs}`, padding 16px. **`cta-banner`** — Closing CTA panel near page bottom. - Background `{colors.surface-1}`, text `{colors.ink}`, type `{typography.headline}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding 48px. ### Inputs & Forms **`text-input`** + **`text-input-focused`** — Form fields on `/contact/sales` and signup overlays. - Background `{colors.surface-1}`, text `{colors.ink}`, type `{typography.body}`, rounded `{rounded.md}`, padding 8px 12px. - Focused state retains the same surface; the focus ring is a 2px `{colors.primary-focus}` outline at 50% opacity. ### Status & Build Page **`changelog-row`** — Each row in `/build` (changelog page) listing version, date, and changes. - Background `{colors.canvas}`, text `{colors.ink}`, type `{typography.body}`, rounded `{rounded.xs}`, padding 24px 0. 1px `{colors.hairline}` bottom rule. **`status-badge`** — Small status pill. - Background `{colors.surface-2}`, text `{colors.ink-muted}`, type `{typography.caption}`, rounded `{rounded.pill}`, padding 2px 8px. ### Navigation **`top-nav`** — Sticky dark bar with the Linear wordmark left, primary nav links centered, and a `button-secondary` ("Sign in") + `button-primary` ("Get started") pair right. - Background `{colors.canvas}`, text `{colors.ink}`, type `{typography.body-sm}`, height 56px. ### Footer **`footer`** — Dense link grid on `{colors.canvas}` with the Linear wordmark left. - Background `{colors.canvas}`, text `{colors.ink-subtle}`, type `{typography.caption}`, padding 64px 32px. ## Do's and Don'ts ### Do - Reserve `{colors.canvas}` (#010102) as the system's anchor surface — the faint blue tint is intentional. - Use `{colors.primary}` lavender ONLY for: brand mark, primary CTA, focus ring, link emphasis. - Use the four-step surface ladder for hierarchy. Avoid skipping levels. - Pair display weight 600 with body weight 400 — Linear resists 700+ display weights. - Apply negative letter-spacing aggressively on display. - Use product UI screenshots as the protagonist of every section. - Compose CTAs as `{rounded.md}` 8px corners. ### Don't - Don't ship a light-mode marketing page. - Don't use lavender as a section background or card fill. - Don't introduce a second chromatic accent (orange, pink, green for marketing). - Don't add atmospheric gradients or spotlight cards. - Don't pill-round CTAs. - Don't use `#000000` true black as the canvas. - Don't combine multiple bright accents in product screenshot mockups. ## Responsive Behavior ### Breakpoints | Name | Width | Key Changes | |---|---|---| | Desktop-XL | 1440px | Default desktop layout | | Desktop | 1280px | Card grid 3-up maintained | | Tablet | 1024px | Card grid 3-up → 2-up | | Mobile-Lg | 768px | Pricing comparison becomes accordion; nav hamburger | | Mobile | 480px | Single-column; display-xl scales 80px → ~36px | ### Touch Targets - CTAs hold ≥40px tap height across viewports. - Pricing tab pills hold ≥36px tap height; touch viewports grow to ≥44px. - Form inputs hold ≥44px tap target on touch. ### Collapsing Strategy - **Top nav**: links collapse to hamburger below 768px. - **Card grids**: 3-up → 2-up at 1024px → 1-up below 768px. - **Pricing comparison**: per-tier accordion below 768px. - **Display type**: `{typography.display-xl}` 80px scales toward `{typography.display-md}` 40px on mobile. ### Image Behavior - Product UI screenshots maintain aspect ratio and never crop. - Customer logos in the marquee may collapse from 6-up to 3-up below 768px. ## Iteration Guide 1. Focus on ONE component at a time and reference it by its `components:` token name. 2. When introducing a section, decide first which surface lift it lives on. 3. Default body to `{typography.body}` at weight 400. 4. Run `npx @google/design.md lint DESIGN.md` after edits. 5. Add new variants as separate component entries. 6. Treat lavender as scarce: brand mark, primary CTA, focus, link emphasis. 7. Lead every section with a product UI screenshot. ## Known Gaps - The four-step surface ladder values are extracted directly from Linear's `--color-bg-level-3`, `--color-line-tint`, etc. CSS variables; they are Linear's canonical surface spec. - Form-field error and validation styling is not visible on the inspected pages. - Light mode is not documented because the marketing site does not ship a light theme. - Linear's actual product UI uses a richer color-tag palette (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) for issue priorities and project labels — those colors live in the in-product surfaces shown in mockups. - The custom display, text, and mono families are proprietary; an open-source substitute is acceptable.