# DESIGN.md: Airtable-style design system

Measured from https://www.airtable.com/ on 2026-10-14 by PikSpec (https://www.pikspec.com). An independent measurement of the rendered page, not Airtable's official design system, and not affiliated with Airtable.

Use it to build your own product in this design language: put this file in your project root and tell your AI tool (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Lovable, v0) to follow DESIGN.md. Never use the original's name, logo, copy or images; licensed fonts are replaced with the closest free Google Fonts.

To capture any other page, or get a ready project for your tool: https://www.pikspec.com/build-with-ai

HOW IT SHOULD LOOK
Build it in the design language of airtable.com, measured from the live site: it should feel designed by the same team as airtable.com — the same temperament, colour, type and density — for a different product. Never use airtable.com's name, logo, words or images.

Stack: use the one your project already has. Starting fresh: React + Vite + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS v4, with no UI kit (no shadcn/ui, MUI or Chakra) — their defaults would override this system. In a chat that shows one file (an artifact or canvas), build one HTML file instead, with the tokens below in its <style> block.
Use every value exactly as written. Do not round, rename, approximate or substitute a colour, size, radius, shadow or easing (fonts: see section 1). Anything not listed here does not exist in this system.

THE WEBSITE THIS SYSTEM COMES FROM
- Reference page: https://www.airtable.com/ — "www.airtable.com" (home page).
- Page frame: a top navigation bar and a footer.
- Content is grouped in cards (7 on the page). Keep cards for grouped content only, not for every section.
- It uses 114 images including 3 videos, 35 of them large. Large, real product imagery is part of the look — leave clearly labelled image slots at those sizes rather than stock photos or abstract 3D shapes.
- Interaction: 18 buttons on one page.
- The page runs about 9 screens long at 1440px wide.
- Density is low: few elements per screen, generous space around each one.

HOW IT LOOKS (WHAT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE ITSELF, BEYOND THE VALUES)
- Almost entirely neutral: 94% of the page is painted in #FFFFFF and #FAF5E8.
- #912E1F is an accent: 3.2% of the page, as one of a few coloured bands or panels. Use it for a band or two, never as the page ground.
- #FCAB79 is an accent: 1.7% of the page, as small fills such as buttons and badges. Keep it to small areas.
- The largest type (40px Haas) is regular weight, not bold (400).
- Open: text covers 6% of the page.
- Structure comes from thin grid lines, not from shadows or filled cards.
- Share of the painted page: #FFFFFF 80.3% (dominant, backgrounds); #FAF5E8 3.6% (detail, backgrounds); #912E1F 3.2% (accent, backgrounds); #CCCCCC 2.6% (detail, backgrounds); #F8FAFC 2.4% (detail, backgrounds); #FCAB79 1.7% (accent, backgrounds); #254FAD 1.3% (accent, backgrounds); #0A2E0E 1.2% (detail, backgrounds). Keep accents at these proportions; do not promote them to fills.
- Hairline grid: 1px lines in #E0E2E6 run both across and down the page (40 across, 16 down), dividing it into cells instead of cards.
- Large images: Photographs, video or raster artwork cover about 38% of the page.
- Type as set (size, weight and tracking measured together; use these pairs): 40px weight 400; 32px weight 400; 24px weight 400; 20px weight 400 tracking 0.005em; 18px weight 500; 16px weight 400 tracking 0.01em.

1. DESIGN TOKENS — PASTE INTO YOUR GLOBAL CSS
Allowed colours, with how the original uses each. Use no other colour, including in hover states:
- #FFFFFF — 80.3% · backgrounds (var(--color-background))
- #FAF5E8 — 3.6% · backgrounds (var(--color-faf5e8))
- #912E1F — 3.2% · backgrounds (var(--color-negative))
- #CCCCCC — 2.6% · backgrounds (var(--color-cccccc))
- #F8FAFC — 2.4% · backgrounds (var(--color-f8fafc))
- #FCAB79 — 1.7% · backgrounds (var(--color-fcab79))
- #254FAD — 1.3% · backgrounds (var(--color-link))
- #0A2E0E — 1.2% · backgrounds (var(--color-positive))
- #181D26 — 0.9% · backgrounds, text (var(--color-action))
- #C7E5F2 — 0.8% · backgrounds (var(--color-c7e5f2))
- #E0E2E6 — hairlines and grid lines (var(--color-border))
- #F0F6FF — Surface (var(--color-surface))
- #333840 — Text (var(--color-text))
- #AA2D00 — Warning (var(--color-warning))
Fonts — put these first in your global CSS (one import per font, so one that fails cannot stop the others):
```css
@import url("https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Figtree:wght@400;500;600&display=swap");
@import url("https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Source+Sans+3:wght@400;600&display=swap");
```
Font: airtable.com uses Haas (body) — its own licensed face, not available to download. This kit uses Figtree for body, the closest free match, already in the tokens. If you own the original, add it with @font-face and it is used first; to use another font, change the --font-* variables.
Source Sans 3 is on Google Fonts and loaded from there.
Keep every size, weight, line height and tracking exactly as listed whichever font renders.
```css
:root {
  --color-background: #FFFFFF; /* Background */
  --color-surface: #F0F6FF; /* Surface */
  --color-text: #333840; /* Text */
  --color-border: #E0E2E6; /* Border */
  --color-action: #181D26; /* Action */
  --color-on-action: #FFFFFF; /* On action */
  --color-link: #254FAD; /* Link */
  --color-positive: #0A2E0E; /* Positive */
  --color-negative: #912E1F; /* Negative */
  --color-warning: #AA2D00; /* Warning */
  --color-faf5e8: #FAF5E8; /* 3.6% of the page, as fills */
  --color-cccccc: #CCCCCC; /* 2.6% of the page, as fills */
  --color-f8fafc: #F8FAFC; /* 2.4% of the page, as fills */
  --color-fcab79: #FCAB79; /* 1.7% of the page, as fills */
  --color-c7e5f2: #C7E5F2; /* 0.8% of the page, as fills */
  --font-body: "Haas", "Figtree", sans-serif; /* Haas on the site; Figtree renders */
  --font-interface: "Source Sans 3", sans-serif; /* Source Sans 3 */
  --type-display: 40px; /* Display, weight 400 */
  --type-display-leading: 52px;
  --type-headline-large: 32px; /* Headline Large, weight 400 */
  --type-headline-large-leading: 40px;
  --type-headline-small: 24px; /* Headline Small, weight 400 */
  --type-headline-small-leading: 39px;
  --type-title-large: 20px; /* Title Large, weight 400 */
  --type-title-large-leading: 30px;
  --type-title-large-tracking: 0.005em;
  --type-title-small: 18px; /* Title Small, weight 500 */
  --type-title-small-leading: 21.6px;
  --type-body-large: 16px; /* Body Large, weight 400 */
  --type-body-large-leading: 21.6px;
  --type-body-large-tracking: 0.01em;
  --type-body-small: 14px; /* Body Small, weight 400 */
  --type-body-small-leading: 22.75px;
  --type-body-small-tracking: 0.007em;
  --space-1: 4px;
  --space-2: 8px;
  --space-3: 12px;
  --space-4: 16px;
  --space-5: 20px;
  --space-6: 24px;
  --space-8: 32px;
  --space-10: 40px;
  --space-12: 48px;
  --space-16: 64px;
  --space-18: 72px;
  --space-24: 96px;
  --radius-xs: 2px;
  --radius-sm: 4px;
  --radius-md: 6px;
  --radius-lg: 10px;
  --radius-xl: 12px;
  --radius-2xl: 16px;
  --radius-3xl: 20px;
  --radius-full: 9999px;
  --radius-24: 24px; /* component radius */
  --radius-32: 32px; /* component radius */
  --elevation-1: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.32) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08) 0px 0px 2px 0px, rgba(45, 127, 249, 0.28) 0px 1px 3px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) 0px 0px 0px 0.5px inset;
  --elevation-2: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.32) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08) 0px 0px 2px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08) 0px 1px 3px 0px, rgba(1, 20, 53, 0.12) 0px 0px 0px 1px inset;
  --elevation-3: rgba(15, 48, 106, 0.05) 0px 0px 20px 0px;
  --duration-1: 0.15s;
  --duration-2: 0.2s;
  --ease-1: ease-in;
  --ease-2: linear;
  --ease-3: cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1);
}
```
Tailwind CSS v4 (the default for new projects): put this after `@import "tailwindcss";`. It removes Tailwind's own palette, so only these colours exist as utilities:
```css
@theme {
  --color-*: initial;
  --color-background: #FFFFFF;
  --color-surface: #F0F6FF;
  --color-text: #333840;
  --color-border: #E0E2E6;
  --color-action: #181D26;
  --color-on-action: #FFFFFF;
  --color-link: #254FAD;
  --color-positive: #0A2E0E;
  --color-negative: #912E1F;
  --color-warning: #AA2D00;
  --color-faf5e8: #FAF5E8;
  --color-cccccc: #CCCCCC;
  --color-f8fafc: #F8FAFC;
  --color-fcab79: #FCAB79;
  --color-c7e5f2: #C7E5F2;
  --font-body: "Haas", "Figtree", sans-serif;
  --font-interface: "Source Sans 3", sans-serif;
  --text-display: 40px;
  --text-display--line-height: 52px;
  --text-headline-large: 32px;
  --text-headline-large--line-height: 40px;
  --text-headline-small: 24px;
  --text-headline-small--line-height: 39px;
  --text-title-large: 20px;
  --text-title-large--line-height: 30px;
  --text-title-large--letter-spacing: 0.005em;
  --text-title-small: 18px;
  --text-title-small--line-height: 21.6px;
  --text-body-large: 16px;
  --text-body-large--line-height: 21.6px;
  --text-body-large--letter-spacing: 0.01em;
  --text-body-small: 14px;
  --text-body-small--line-height: 22.75px;
  --text-body-small--letter-spacing: 0.007em;
  --radius-xs: 2px;
  --radius-sm: 4px;
  --radius-md: 6px;
  --radius-lg: 10px;
  --radius-xl: 12px;
  --radius-2xl: 16px;
  --radius-3xl: 20px;
  --radius-full: 9999px;
  --shadow-e1: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.32) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08) 0px 0px 2px 0px, rgba(45, 127, 249, 0.28) 0px 1px 3px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) 0px 0px 0px 0.5px inset;
  --shadow-e2: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.32) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08) 0px 0px 2px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08) 0px 1px 3px 0px, rgba(1, 20, 53, 0.12) 0px 0px 0px 1px inset;
  --shadow-e3: rgba(15, 48, 106, 0.05) 0px 0px 20px 0px;
  --ease-1: ease-in;
  --ease-2: linear;
  --ease-3: cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1);
}
```
Tailwind CSS v3 only: extend the theme with these instead, and use no other palette:
```js
// tailwind.config — theme.extend
{
  colors: { "background": "var(--color-background)", "surface": "var(--color-surface)", "text": "var(--color-text)", "border": "var(--color-border)", "action": "var(--color-action)", "on-action": "var(--color-on-action)", "link": "var(--color-link)", "positive": "var(--color-positive)", "negative": "var(--color-negative)", "warning": "var(--color-warning)" },
  fontFamily: { "body": ["var(--font-body)"], "interface": ["var(--font-interface)"] },
  borderRadius: { "xs": "var(--radius-xs)", "sm": "var(--radius-sm)", "md": "var(--radius-md)", "lg": "var(--radius-lg)", "xl": "var(--radius-xl)", "2xl": "var(--radius-2xl)", "3xl": "var(--radius-3xl)", "full": "var(--radius-full)" },
  boxShadow: { "e1": "var(--elevation-1)", "e2": "var(--elevation-2)", "e3": "var(--elevation-3)" },
}
```

2. BASE STYLES
```css
html { background: var(--color-background); }
body { margin: 0; font-family: var(--font-body); font-size: var(--type-body-large); line-height: var(--type-body-large-leading); color: var(--color-text); -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale; }
h1, h2, h3 { font-family: var(--font-body); margin: 0; }
a { color: var(--color-link); }
:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid var(--color-action); outline-offset: 2px; }
```

3. COMPONENTS — MATCH THESE EXACTLY
```css
.card { /* Default */
  background: var(--color-faf5e8);
  border: 1px solid var(--color-border);
  border-radius: var(--radius-24);
  padding: var(--space-10);
  color: var(--color-text);
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-title-large);
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 30px;
}
.card-2 { /* Alternative 1 */
  background: var(--color-negative);
  border: 1px solid var(--color-border);
  border-radius: var(--radius-24);
  color: #333840;
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-title-large);
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 30px;
}
.card-3 { /* Alternative 2 */
  background: var(--color-background);
  border: 1px solid var(--color-border);
  border-radius: var(--radius-24);
  color: #333840;
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-title-large);
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 30px;
}
.button { /* Primary */
  background: var(--color-action);
  border: 1px solid #181D26;
  border-radius: var(--radius-xl);
  padding: 16px 24px 16px 24px;
  min-height: 56px;
  box-shadow: var(--elevation-1);
  color: var(--color-on-action);
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-body-large);
  font-weight: 500;
  line-height: 21.6px;
  /* recorded states: hover, focus, focus-visible, active, disabled */
}
.button-3 { /* Secondary 2 */
  background: var(--color-action);
  border-radius: var(--radius-full);
  min-height: 40px;
  color: var(--color-on-action);
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-title-large);
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 0px;
  /* recorded states: focus, focus-visible, disabled, hover, active */
}
.nav-2 { /* Alternative 1 */
  background: var(--color-background);
  box-shadow: var(--elevation-3);
  color: #181D26;
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-title-large);
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 25px;
}
.link-2 { /* Inline 2 */
  background: transparent;
  min-height: 26px;
  color: #181D26;
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-title-large);
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 30px;
  /* recorded states: hover, focus, active */
}
.link-3 { /* Inline 3 */
  background: transparent;
  border: 1px solid #181D26;
  border-radius: var(--radius-xl);
  padding: 16px 24px 16px 24px;
  min-height: 55px;
  color: #181D26;
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-body-large);
  font-weight: 500;
  line-height: 20.8px;
  /* recorded states: hover, focus, active, focus-visible, disabled */
}
```
Where a component lists recorded states, write those states using only the colours above; the capture saw that the state exists, not its values. Never invent a state colour.

4. PAGE COMPOSITION
- Light interface on #FFFFFF. Keep that ground; do not add a dark mode or alternate section backgrounds the system does not have.
- The opening screen carries a large image or video on the middle. Leave a [content: hero image or video] slot there, at least half the screen wide; the opening is not text alone.
- #181D26 is the action colour. Fill the primary action with it and little else — at most one #181D26-filled element per screen; other accents keep to the uses listed above.
- Type: Figtree (standing in for Haas) for body; Source Sans 3 for interface. Hierarchy comes from size and weight, not colour or decoration.
- Everything sits on a 4px grid.
- Corner radii are 2px, 4px, 6px, 10px, 12px, 16px, 20px, fully round (pill) — nothing else.
- Body text uses Haas at around 16px, weights 400, 500, 600.
- Headings use Haas Groot Disp; the largest heading is 40px.
- Primary buttons are #181D26, 12px radius, weight 500.
- Cards use 24px corners.
- Spacing follows a 4px rhythm (2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20).
- Corner radii in use: 12px, 32px, 6px, 16px, 24px.

HOW THE ORIGINAL PACES ITS PAGE (BORROW THE RHYTHM — THE OPENING, THE COLOURED BANDS, THE CARD GRIDS — NOT THE LIST; BUILD THE SECTIONS YOUR PRODUCT NEEDS)
1. Hero — 989px tall, centred 40px heading (weight 400), image centred, on #FFFFFF.
2. Statement — 191px tall, a strip of 32 small items (logos, links or icons), centred 14px heading (weight 400), image on the left, on #FFFFFF.
3. Text — 93px tall, left-aligned 32px heading (weight 400).
4. Split — 675px tall, split 8 / 4, left-aligned 24px heading (weight 400), image centred, on #912E1F.
5. Split — 675px tall, split 8 / 4, left-aligned 24px heading (weight 400) set low in the band, image behind the content, on #FFFFFF.
6. Full-bleed image — 675px tall, left-aligned 24px heading (weight 400) set mid-band, image behind the content, on an image background.
7. Split — 767px tall, split 5 / 7, 120px gap, left-aligned 24px heading (weight 400), on #FAF5E8.
8. Grid — 1294px tall, 4 items in 2 columns with 32px gaps, left-aligned 32px heading (weight 400), image on the left, on #FFFFFF.
9. Cards — 581px tall, 3 equal columns, 48px gap, left-aligned 32px heading (weight 400), image on the right, on #FFFFFF.
10. Full-bleed image — 491px tall, left-aligned 40px heading (weight 400), image behind the content, on #FFFFFF.
11. Text — 334px tall, left-aligned 32px heading (weight 400), on #FFFFFF.
12. Footer — 579px tall, split 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 2, 48px gap, left-aligned 20px heading (weight 400), on #FFFFFF.
- Content sits in a 1114px container, 96px from the edge at 1440px wide.
- A 121px header stays fixed at the top, transparent over the first section.
- The hero is 989px (1.1 screens): centred 40px heading (weight 400), image centred, on #FFFFFF.
- Column splits on a 12-column grid: 8/4 (3×), 5/7, thirds, 3/3/2/2/2; gaps of 48px.
- Headings align left (10 of 12 sections); centre only the occasional statement.
- Sections change background 6 times, between #FFFFFF, #912E1F, #FAF5E8: the colour sits in large rounded panels inside the section, not edge to edge.
- A typical section is about 675px tall.

COPY SHAPE (MATCH THE LENGTH AND CASE; WRITE YOUR OWN WORDS)
- The main heading is 9 words long.
- Section headings are medium length: typically 6 words.
- Headings are in sentence case (only the first word capitalised).
- The page describes itself in about 22 words; keep your intro paragraph to about that length.

5. MOTION
Interactive elements change colour, background, border and opacity with the measured timing. Animate nothing else.
```css
a, button, [role="button"], input { transition: color var(--duration-1) var(--ease-1), background-color var(--duration-1) var(--ease-1), border-color var(--duration-1) var(--ease-1), opacity var(--duration-1) var(--ease-1); }
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  *, *::before, *::after { animation-duration: 0.01ms !important; animation-iteration-count: 1 !important; transition-duration: 0.01ms !important; scroll-behavior: auto !important; }
}
```
No scroll-triggered fade-ins, parallax, typewriter text or bouncing elements.

6. RESPONSIVE
- The design was measured at 1440px wide. Lay it out for that width first, then let it reflow down to 360px.
- Content sits in a column at most 1344px wide, centred, with var(--space-4) (16px) side padding on small screens.
- The largest heading scales fluidly: font-size: clamp(24px, 2.8vw, 40px). Every other size stays fixed.
- Break on composition, not device names: a row of columns drops a column when any column would be narrower than 240px; side-by-side splits stack when either side would be narrower than 320px.
- Spacing steps never change between sizes; use smaller steps from the same list where space is tight.
- On touch screens, every link and button has a hit area of at least 44 × 44px without changing its drawn size.

7. ACCESSIBILITY
- Text pairs that pass for body copy: Text on Background (11.8:1), Action on Background (16.9:1), Link on Background (7.5:1), Positive on Background (14.9:1), Negative on Background (8:1), Text on Surface (10.9:1), Action on Surface (15.6:1), Link on Surface (6.9:1), Positive on Surface (13.7:1), Negative on Surface (7.4:1) and On action on Action (16.9:1).
- Use no other text-on-background pairing.
- One h1 per page, headings in order, landmarks (header, nav, main, footer), real buttons and links, a label on every field, alt text on every image, an aria-label on icon-only buttons.
- Every interactive element shows the :focus-visible outline above.

8. DO NOT (THESE ARE WHAT MAKE AI-BUILT SITES LOOK GENERIC)
- No gradients: not in backgrounds, text, buttons or borders. (No gradient was measured.)
- Only these colours: #FFFFFF, #FAF5E8, #912E1F, #CCCCCC, #F8FAFC, #FCAB79, #254FAD, #0A2E0E, #181D26, #C7E5F2, #E0E2E6, #F0F6FF, #333840, #AA2D00. No new tints, no Tailwind defaults (slate, indigo, violet). (They are every colour that covers a measurable part of the page, and the colours its lines and drawings use.)
- #912E1F fills a few coloured bands or panels, as in the layout — a handful at most, never the page ground and never body text. (It covers 3.2% of the page, all of it in those panels.)
- #FCAB79 only as small fills (buttons, badges) — never a section background or a large panel. (It covers 1.7% of the page.)
- Only the fonts in the tokens: Figtree for body; Source Sans 3 for interface. No other typeface, and no Inter, Roboto or system UI font unless it is one of these. (The page is set in Haas and Haas Groot Disp; the tokens carry what stands in for them.)
- Headings and large text never heavier than weight 400. Do not make headlines bold to add emphasis. (Every size from 24px up is set at weight 400 or lighter.)
- No all-caps eyebrow labels above headings. (No uppercase text was measured.)
- No icon above every feature, no emoji, no decorative blobs, sparkles or glows. (None of these is part of the captured design; they are a coding model's defaults.)
- Build the sections your product needs, not the original's list. Give each one this system's look: its kinds of section (hero, statement, text, split, image, grid, cards, footer), its colours, type, shapes and spacing. (The style carries to any kind of site; the original's page was for a different product.)
- No glassmorphism, backdrop blur, glowing orbs, noise blobs or neon outlines.
- No row of three identical feature cards as the default section. Vary the layout from section to section: a split, a list, a single large statement, a table.
- No centred-everything hero with a pill badge, a gradient headline and two buttons. Lead with the most specific thing about the product.
- No filler copy: no "Unlock your potential", "Revolutionize", "Seamless", "Elevate", "Supercharge", "Next-gen" or lorem ipsum. Write plain, specific sentences a real company would publish.
- No made-up statistics, testimonials or customer logos. Leave a clearly marked [content: …] slot instead.
- No radius larger than the largest one listed.
- No shadows other than the levels listed.
- Do not use airtable.com's name, logo, copy or images. This is its design system, not its content.

BEFORE YOU FINISH
- Search your code for every colour, font size, spacing value, radius, shadow and easing, and replace anything that is not a variable above.
- Check that no [content: …] slot has been filled with invented facts.
- Search your CSS for gradient(. There should be none.
- Every colour value in your CSS is one of the allowed colours. Nothing else, including in hover states.
- #FCAB79 covers about 1.7% of the page or less, as on the original.
- No text 24px or larger has a font-weight above 400.
- Every section, including ones the original does not have, uses only this system's colours, type, shapes and spacing.
- Content sits in a 1114px container with 96px side margins at 1440px.
- There is no placeholder copy (lorem ipsum, "Feature one", "Your headline here"). Every word is real.
- Take a screenshot at 1440px and put it beside the original. List every difference in colour, weight, spacing, alignment and imagery, and fix each before finishing. Then check 390px wide: nothing scrolls sideways and no heading runs off the screen.