# DESIGN.md: Glossier-style design system

Measured from https://www.glossier.com/en-in/ on 2026-10-15 by PikSpec (https://www.pikspec.com). An independent measurement of the rendered page, not Glossier's official design system, and not affiliated with Glossier.

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 glossier.com, measured from the live site: it should feel designed by the same team as glossier.com — the same temperament, colour, type and density — for a different product. Never use glossier.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.glossier.com/en-in/ — "www.glossier.com".
- Page frame: a top navigation bar, a persistent side panel beside the content and a footer. This is a tool- or docs-style layout, not a marketing page of stacked full-width bands.
- It uses 65 images including 2 videos, 23 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: 29 buttons and 21 form fields on one page — a working interface, so favour dense, functional controls over big marketing calls to action.
- The page runs about 5 screens long at 1440px wide.
- Density is moderate.

HOW IT LOOKS (WHAT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE ITSELF, BEYOND THE VALUES)
- Almost entirely neutral: 99% of the page is painted in #FFFFFF and #F7F7F7.
- #0600FF is an accent: 0.1% of the page, as small fills such as buttons and badges. Keep it to small areas.
- #A85566 is an accent: under 0.1% of the page, as small fills such as buttons and badges. Keep it to small areas.
- The largest type (32px Apercu) is medium weight, not bold (500), in capitals.
- Very airy: text covers 4% of the page. Sections sit about 30px apart.
- Share of the painted page: #FFFFFF 59% (dominant, backgrounds); #F7F7F7 18.9% (supporting, backgrounds); #FAF2F4 17.2% (supporting, backgrounds); #000000 3.6% (supporting, backgrounds and text); #333333 0.6% (detail, backgrounds); #666666 0.3% (detail, text); #FBD1DA 0.1% (detail, backgrounds); #E8E8E8 0.1% (detail, backgrounds and lines). Keep accents at these proportions; do not promote them to fills.
- Large images: Photographs, video or raster artwork cover about 76% of the page.
- Type as set (size, weight and tracking measured together; use these pairs): 32px weight 500 uppercase; 20px weight 400; 16px weight 400 tracking 0.002em; 14px weight 400; 12px weight 400 uppercase.

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 — 59% · backgrounds (var(--color-text))
- #F7F7F7 — 18.9% · backgrounds (var(--color-f7f7f7))
- #FAF2F4 — 17.2% · backgrounds (var(--color-faf2f4))
- #000000 — 3.6% · backgrounds, text (var(--color-background))
- #333333 — 0.6% · backgrounds (var(--color-333333))
- #666666 — 0.3% · text (var(--color-text-muted))
- #FBD1DA — 0.1% · backgrounds (var(--color-negative))
- #E8E8E8 — 0.1% · backgrounds, lines
- #0600FF — 0.1% · backgrounds
- #BDE1D7 — Positive (var(--color-positive))
- #F1EFD8 — 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;700&display=swap");
@import url("https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=JetBrains+Mono:wght@400&display=swap");
```
Font: glossier.com uses Apercu (body), Apercu Mono (code) and Apercu Pro (interface) — its own licensed faces, not available to download. This kit uses Figtree for body and interface and JetBrains Mono for code, the closest free matches, 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.
Keep every size, weight, line height and tracking exactly as listed whichever font renders.
```css
:root {
  --color-background: #000000; /* Background */
  --color-text: #FFFFFF; /* Text */
  --color-text-muted: #666666; /* Text muted */
  --color-action: #FFFFFF; /* Action */
  --color-on-action: #000000; /* On action */
  --color-positive: #BDE1D7; /* Positive */
  --color-negative: #FBD1DA; /* Negative */
  --color-warning: #F1EFD8; /* Warning */
  --color-f7f7f7: #F7F7F7; /* 18.9% of the page, as fills */
  --color-faf2f4: #FAF2F4; /* 17.2% of the page, as fills */
  --color-333333: #333333; /* 0.6% of the page, as fills */
  --font-body: "Apercu", "Figtree", sans-serif; /* Apercu on the site; Figtree renders */
  --font-code: "Apercu Mono", "JetBrains Mono", monospace; /* Apercu Mono on the site; JetBrains Mono renders */
  --font-interface: "Apercu Pro", "Figtree", sans-serif; /* Apercu Pro on the site; Figtree renders */
  --type-title: 20px; /* Title, weight 400 */
  --type-title-leading: 28px;
  --type-body-large: 16px; /* Body Large, weight 400 */
  --type-body-large-leading: 19.6px;
  --type-body-large-tracking: 0.002em;
  --type-body-small: 14px; /* Body Small, weight 400 */
  --type-body-small-leading: 19.6px;
  --type-label: 12px; /* Label, weight 400 */
  --type-label-leading: 19.6px;
  --space-4: 4px;
  --space-8: 8px;
  --space-12: 12px;
  --space-16: 16px;
  --space-20: 20px;
  --space-24: 24px;
  --space-32: 32px;
  --space-40: 40px;
  --space-56: 56px;
  --space-80: 80px;
  --space-100: 100px;
  --radius-xs: 2px;
  --radius-sm: 3px;
  --radius-2xl: 17px;
  --radius-3xl: 20px;
  --elevation-1: rgb(199, 197, 199) 0px 0px 12px 2px;
  --duration-1: 0.2s;
  --duration-2: 0.4s;
  --duration-3: 0.9s;
  --ease-1: ease-in-out;
}
```
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: #000000;
  --color-text: #FFFFFF;
  --color-text-muted: #666666;
  --color-action: #FFFFFF;
  --color-on-action: #000000;
  --color-positive: #BDE1D7;
  --color-negative: #FBD1DA;
  --color-warning: #F1EFD8;
  --color-f7f7f7: #F7F7F7;
  --color-faf2f4: #FAF2F4;
  --color-333333: #333333;
  --font-body: "Apercu", "Figtree", sans-serif;
  --font-code: "Apercu Mono", "JetBrains Mono", monospace;
  --font-interface: "Apercu Pro", "Figtree", sans-serif;
  --text-title: 20px;
  --text-title--line-height: 28px;
  --text-body-large: 16px;
  --text-body-large--line-height: 19.6px;
  --text-body-large--letter-spacing: 0.002em;
  --text-body-small: 14px;
  --text-body-small--line-height: 19.6px;
  --text-label: 12px;
  --text-label--line-height: 19.6px;
  --radius-xs: 2px;
  --radius-sm: 3px;
  --radius-2xl: 17px;
  --radius-3xl: 20px;
  --shadow-e1: rgb(199, 197, 199) 0px 0px 12px 2px;
  --ease-1: ease-in-out;
}
```
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)", "text": "var(--color-text)", "text-muted": "var(--color-text-muted)", "action": "var(--color-action)", "on-action": "var(--color-on-action)", "positive": "var(--color-positive)", "negative": "var(--color-negative)", "warning": "var(--color-warning)" },
  fontFamily: { "body": ["var(--font-body)"], "code": ["var(--font-code)"], "interface": ["var(--font-interface)"] },
  borderRadius: { "xs": "var(--radius-xs)", "sm": "var(--radius-sm)", "2xl": "var(--radius-2xl)", "3xl": "var(--radius-3xl)" },
  boxShadow: { "e1": "var(--elevation-1)" },
}
```

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: inherit; }
:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid var(--color-action); outline-offset: 2px; }
```

3. COMPONENTS — MATCH THESE EXACTLY
```css
.button { /* Primary */
  background: var(--color-action);
  padding: 8px 16px 8px 16px;
  min-height: 40px;
  color: var(--color-on-action);
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-body-small);
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 19.6px;
  /* recorded states: disabled */
}
.button-2 { /* Icon */
  background: #666666;
  min-height: 24px;
  color: var(--color-text);
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-body-small);
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 19.6px;
  /* recorded states: disabled */
}
.button-3 { /* Secondary */
  background: #E8E8E8;
  padding: 8px 16px 8px 16px;
  min-height: 40px;
  color: #000000;
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-body-small);
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 16.1px;
  /* recorded states: disabled, active, focus, hover */
}
.input { /* Default */
  background: var(--color-action);
  border: 1px solid #E8E8E8;
  padding: 0px 0px 0px 16px;
  min-height: 49px;
  color: var(--color-text-muted);
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-body-small);
  font-weight: 400;
  /* recorded states: hover, focus-visible */
}
```
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
- Dark interface on #000000. Keep that ground; do not add a light mode.
- The opening screen carries a large image or video behind or across the heading. Leave a [content: hero image or video] slot there, at least half the screen wide; the opening is not text alone.
- Sections change ground between Background (#000000), Text (#FFFFFF) and #FAF2F4; use only those.
- #FFFFFF is the action colour. Fill the primary action with it and little else — at most one #FFFFFF-filled element per screen; other accents keep to the uses listed above.
- Type: Figtree (standing in for Apercu) for body; JetBrains Mono (standing in for Apercu Mono) for code; Figtree (standing in for Apercu Pro) for interface. Hierarchy comes from size and weight, not colour or decoration.
- Corner radii are 2px, 3px, 17px, 20px — nothing else.
- Body text uses Apercu at around 16px, weights 400, 500, 600, 700.
- Headings use Apercu Pro; the largest heading is 32px.
- Primary buttons are #FFFFFF, square-cornered, weight 500.
- Corner radii in use: 2px, 20px, 3px, 50px, 17px.

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 — 800px tall, left-aligned 20px heading (weight 400), image behind the content.
2. Statement — 665px tall, a strip of 8 small items (logos, links or icons), centred 14px heading (weight 400), image on the left.
3. Split — 570px tall, 2 equal columns, 16px gap, centred 14px heading (weight 400) set mid-band, image on the left.
4. Cards — 429px tall, split 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 2, 16px gap, left-aligned 12px heading (weight 400) set low in the band, image on the left, on #FFFFFF.
5. Cards — 645px tall, 3 equal columns, 16px gap, left-aligned 14px heading (weight 400) set low in the band, image centred.
6. Footer — 736px tall, 2 equal columns, 468px gap, left-aligned 14px heading (weight 400), image on the right, on #FAF2F4.
- Content runs 1408px wide with 16px side margins at 1440px; there is no narrower centred container.
- A 40px header stays fixed at the top.
- The hero is 800px (0.9 screens): left-aligned 20px heading (weight 400), image behind the content.
- Column splits on a 12-column grid: halves (2×), 3/3/2/2/2, thirds; gaps of 16px.
- Headings align left (4 of 6 sections); centre only the occasional statement.
- Sections change background 3 times, between #FFFFFF, #FAF2F4: colour comes in full-width bands, not in boxes.
- A typical section is about 645px tall.

COPY SHAPE (MATCH THE LENGTH AND CASE; WRITE YOUR OWN WORDS)
- The page has no single main heading.
- Section headings are short: typically 3 words.
- Headings are in Title Case.
- The page describes itself in about 1 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 459px wide, centred, with var(--space-16) (16px) side padding on small screens.
- The largest heading scales fluidly: font-size: clamp(12px, 1.4vw, 20px). 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 (21:1), Action on Background (21:1), Positive on Background (14.9:1), Negative on Background (15.2:1) and On action on Action (21:1).
- Only for text 24px and up, or 18.66px bold: Text muted on Background (3.7:1).
- 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)
- Only the one shadow in the tokens, on the components that use them. (1 shadow value was measured; inventing softer ones changes the depth of the page.)
- No gradients: not in backgrounds, text, buttons or borders. (No gradient was measured.)
- Only these colours: #FFFFFF, #F7F7F7, #FAF2F4, #000000, #333333, #666666, #FBD1DA, #E8E8E8, #0600FF, #BDE1D7, #F1EFD8. 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.)
- #0600FF only as small fills (buttons, badges) — never a section background or a large panel. (It covers 0.1% of the page.)
- #A85566 only as small fills (buttons, badges) — never a section background or a large panel. (It covers under 0.1% of the page.)
- Only the fonts in the tokens: Figtree for body; JetBrains Mono for code; Figtree for interface. No other typeface, and no Inter, Roboto or system UI font unless it is one of these. (The page is set in Apercu and arial and Apercu Mono; the tokens carry what stands in for them.)
- Headings and large text never heavier than weight 500. Do not make headlines bold to add emphasis. (Every size from 24px up is set at weight 500 or lighter.)
- 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.)
- The hero is left-aligned. Do not centre it. (The captured hero sets its heading on the left.)
- Build the sections your product needs, not the original's list. Give each one this system's look: its kinds of section (hero, statement, split, 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.
- Do not use glossier.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.
- #0600FF covers about 0.1% of the page or less, as on the original.
- #A85566 covers about 0.1% of the page or less, as on the original.
- No text 24px or larger has a font-weight above 500.
- Every section, including ones the original does not have, uses only this system's colours, type, shapes and spacing.
- 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.