# DESIGN.md: Notion-style design system

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

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 notion.com, measured from the live site: it should feel designed by the same team as notion.com — the same temperament, colour, type and density — for a different product. Never use notion.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.notion.com/ — "www.notion.com" (home page).
- Page frame: a top navigation bar and a footer.
- Content is grouped in cards (11 on the page, up to 2 side by side). Keep cards for grouped content only, not for every section.
- It uses 179 images including 1 video, 47 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: 10 buttons on one page.
- The page runs about 5 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: 92% of the page is painted in #FFFFFF and #F9F9F8.
- #097FE8 is an accent: 1.3% of the page, as small fills such as buttons and badges. Keep it to small areas.
- #005BAB is an accent: 1.3% of the page, as small fills such as buttons and badges. Keep it to small areas.
- The largest type (96px NotionInter) is semibold (600), tracked to -0.048em.
- Open: text covers 8% of the page.
- Structure comes from thin grid lines, not from shadows or filled cards.
- Share of the painted page: #FFFFFF 74.3% (dominant, backgrounds); #F9F9F8 7.5% (supporting, backgrounds); #F6F5F4 6.5% (supporting, backgrounds); #000000 3.3% (supporting, text); #097FE8 1.3% (accent, backgrounds); #005BAB 1.3% (accent, backgrounds); #FFB110 1.3% (accent, backgrounds); #F64932 1.3% (accent, backgrounds). Keep accents at these proportions; do not promote them to fills.
- Hairline grid: 1px lines in #000000 run both across and down the page (14 across, 12 down), dividing it into cells instead of cards.
- Large images: Photographs, video or raster artwork cover about 54% of the page.
- Type as set (size, weight and tracking measured together; use these pairs): 96px weight 600 tracking -0.048em; 72px weight 500 tracking -0.028em; 54px weight 700 tracking -0.035em; 42px weight 700 tracking -0.036em; 22px weight 700 tracking -0.011em; 20px weight 400 tracking -0.006em.

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 — 74.3% · backgrounds (var(--color-background))
- #F9F9F8 — 7.5% · backgrounds (var(--color-f9f9f8))
- #F6F5F4 — 6.5% · backgrounds (var(--color-surface))
- #000000 — 3.3% · text (var(--color-text))
- #097FE8 — 1.3% · backgrounds (var(--color-097fe8))
- #005BAB — 1.3% · backgrounds (var(--color-005bab))
- #FFB110 — 1.3% · backgrounds (var(--color-warning))
- #F64932 — 1.3% · backgrounds (var(--color-negative))
- #E32D14 — 1.3% · backgrounds (var(--color-e32d14))
- #E89D01 — 1.3% · backgrounds (var(--color-e89d01))
- #A39E98 — Text muted (var(--color-text-muted))
- #0075DE — Action (var(--color-action))
- #1AAE39 — Positive (var(--color-positive))
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=Inter:wght@400;500;600;700&display=swap");
@import url("https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Source+Serif+4:wght@400&display=swap");
```
Font: notion.com uses Lyon Text (interface) — its own licensed face, not available to download. This kit uses Source Serif 4 for interface, 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.
NotionInter (Google's Inter) 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: #F6F5F4; /* Surface */
  --color-text: #000000; /* Text */
  --color-text-muted: #A39E98; /* Text muted */
  --color-action: #0075DE; /* Action */
  --color-on-action: #FFFFFF; /* On action */
  --color-link: #0075DE; /* Link */
  --color-positive: #1AAE39; /* Positive */
  --color-negative: #F64932; /* Negative */
  --color-warning: #FFB110; /* Warning */
  --color-f9f9f8: #F9F9F8; /* 7.5% of the page, as fills */
  --color-097fe8: #097FE8; /* 1.3% of the page, as fills */
  --color-005bab: #005BAB; /* 1.3% of the page, as fills */
  --color-e32d14: #E32D14; /* 1.3% of the page, as fills */
  --color-e89d01: #E89D01; /* 1.3% of the page, as fills */
  --font-body: "NotionInter", "Inter", sans-serif; /* NotionInter on the site; Inter renders */
  --font-interface: "Lyon Text", "Source Serif 4", serif; /* Lyon Text on the site; Source Serif 4 renders */
  --type-display-1: 96px; /* Display 1, weight 600 */
  --type-display-1-leading: 100px;
  --type-display-1-tracking: -0.048em;
  --type-display-2: 72px; /* Display 2, weight 500 */
  --type-display-2-leading: 87.12px;
  --type-display-2-tracking: -0.028em;
  --type-display-3: 54px; /* Display 3, weight 700 */
  --type-display-3-leading: 56px;
  --type-display-3-tracking: -0.035em;
  --type-display-4: 42px; /* Display 4, weight 700 */
  --type-display-4-leading: 48px;
  --type-display-4-tracking: -0.036em;
  --type-title-large: 22px; /* Title Large, weight 700 */
  --type-title-large-leading: 28px;
  --type-title-large-tracking: -0.011em;
  --type-title-medium: 20px; /* Title Medium, weight 400 */
  --type-title-medium-leading: 28px;
  --type-title-medium-tracking: -0.006em;
  --type-title-small: 18px; /* Title Small, weight 400 */
  --type-title-small-leading: 28px;
  --type-body-large: 16px; /* Body Large, weight 700 */
  --type-body-large-leading: 24px;
  --type-body-small: 14px; /* Body Small, weight 500 */
  --type-body-small-leading: 20px;
  --type-label: 12px; /* Label, weight 500 */
  --type-label-leading: 16px;
  --type-label-tracking: 0.01em;
  --space-1: 4px;
  --space-2: 8px;
  --space-3: 12px;
  --space-4: 16px;
  --space-5: 20px;
  --space-6: 24px;
  --space-7: 28px;
  --space-8: 32px;
  --space-9: 36px;
  --space-10: 40px;
  --space-15: 60px;
  --space-16: 64px;
  --space-20: 80px;
  --space-24: 96px;
  --space-27: 108px;
  --space-32: 128px;
  --radius-sm: 4px;
  --radius-md: 5px;
  --radius-lg: 8px;
  --radius-xl: 12px;
  --radius-full: 9999px;
  --elevation-1: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.01) 0px 0.175px 1.041px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.02) 0px 0.8px 2.925px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.027) 0px 2.025px 7.847px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.04) 0px 4px 18px 0px;
  --elevation-2: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.008) 0px 0.667px 3.502px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.016) 0px 2.933px 7.252px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.02) 0px 7.2px 14.462px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.024) 0px 13.867px 28.348px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03) 0px 23.333px 52.123px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.04) 0px 36px 89px 0px;
  --duration-1: 0.15s;
  --duration-2: 0.2s;
  --duration-3: 0.3s;
  --ease-1: cubic-bezier(0.42, 0, 1, 1);
  --ease-2: cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1);
  --ease-3: cubic-bezier(0.86, 0, 0.07, 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: #F6F5F4;
  --color-text: #000000;
  --color-text-muted: #A39E98;
  --color-action: #0075DE;
  --color-on-action: #FFFFFF;
  --color-link: #0075DE;
  --color-positive: #1AAE39;
  --color-negative: #F64932;
  --color-warning: #FFB110;
  --color-f9f9f8: #F9F9F8;
  --color-097fe8: #097FE8;
  --color-005bab: #005BAB;
  --color-e32d14: #E32D14;
  --color-e89d01: #E89D01;
  --font-body: "NotionInter", "Inter", sans-serif;
  --font-interface: "Lyon Text", "Source Serif 4", serif;
  --text-display-1: 96px;
  --text-display-1--line-height: 100px;
  --text-display-1--letter-spacing: -0.048em;
  --text-display-2: 72px;
  --text-display-2--line-height: 87.12px;
  --text-display-2--letter-spacing: -0.028em;
  --text-display-3: 54px;
  --text-display-3--line-height: 56px;
  --text-display-3--letter-spacing: -0.035em;
  --text-display-4: 42px;
  --text-display-4--line-height: 48px;
  --text-display-4--letter-spacing: -0.036em;
  --text-title-large: 22px;
  --text-title-large--line-height: 28px;
  --text-title-large--letter-spacing: -0.011em;
  --text-title-medium: 20px;
  --text-title-medium--line-height: 28px;
  --text-title-medium--letter-spacing: -0.006em;
  --text-title-small: 18px;
  --text-title-small--line-height: 28px;
  --text-body-large: 16px;
  --text-body-large--line-height: 24px;
  --text-body-small: 14px;
  --text-body-small--line-height: 20px;
  --text-label: 12px;
  --text-label--line-height: 16px;
  --text-label--letter-spacing: 0.01em;
  --radius-sm: 4px;
  --radius-md: 5px;
  --radius-lg: 8px;
  --radius-xl: 12px;
  --radius-full: 9999px;
  --shadow-e1: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.01) 0px 0.175px 1.041px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.02) 0px 0.8px 2.925px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.027) 0px 2.025px 7.847px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.04) 0px 4px 18px 0px;
  --shadow-e2: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.008) 0px 0.667px 3.502px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.016) 0px 2.933px 7.252px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.02) 0px 7.2px 14.462px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.024) 0px 13.867px 28.348px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.03) 0px 23.333px 52.123px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.04) 0px 36px 89px 0px;
  --ease-1: cubic-bezier(0.42, 0, 1, 1);
  --ease-2: cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1);
  --ease-3: cubic-bezier(0.86, 0, 0.07, 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)", "text-muted": "var(--color-text-muted)", "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: { "sm": "var(--radius-sm)", "md": "var(--radius-md)", "lg": "var(--radius-lg)", "xl": "var(--radius-xl)", "full": "var(--radius-full)" },
  boxShadow: { "e1": "var(--elevation-1)", "e2": "var(--elevation-2)" },
}
```

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-background);
  border-radius: var(--radius-xl);
  min-height: 560px;
  color: var(--color-text);
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-body-large);
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 24px;
  /* recorded states: focus, focus-visible */
}
.link-2 { /* Inline 2 */
  background: transparent;
  color: var(--color-text);
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-body-large);
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 24px;
  /* recorded states: focus, hover, active, focus-visible */
}
.link-3 { /* Inline 3 */
  background: transparent;
  border-radius: var(--radius-lg);
  padding: 6px 8px 6px 8px;
  min-height: 36px;
  color: var(--color-text);
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-body-large);
  font-weight: 500;
  line-height: 24px;
  /* recorded states: focus, hover, active, focus-visible, disabled */
}
.nav { /* Default */
  background: var(--color-background);
  min-height: 64px;
  color: var(--color-text);
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-body-large);
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 24px;
  /* recorded states: focus */
}
.button { /* Primary */
  background: var(--color-action);
  border-radius: var(--radius-lg);
  padding: 6px 15px 6px 15px;
  min-height: 38px;
  color: var(--color-on-action);
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-body-large);
  font-weight: 500;
  line-height: 24px;
  /* recorded states: focus, hover, active, focus-visible, disabled */
}
.button-2 { /* Secondary */
  background: var(--color-background);
  border: 1px solid #000000;
  border-radius: var(--radius-full);
  padding: 8px 16px 8px 16px;
  min-height: 38px;
  color: var(--color-text);
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-body-small);
  font-weight: 500;
  line-height: 20px;
  /* recorded states: collapsed, focus, disabled, focus-visible, hover */
}
.button-3 { /* Tertiary */
  background: transparent;
  border-radius: var(--radius-sm);
  padding: 5px 10px 5px 10px;
  min-height: 30px;
  color: var(--color-text);
  font-family: var(--font-body);
  font-size: var(--type-body-large);
  font-weight: 400;
  line-height: 24px;
  /* recorded states: collapsed, focus, hover */
}
```
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.
- #0075DE is the action colour. Fill the primary action with it and little else — at most one #0075DE-filled element per screen; other accents keep to the uses listed above.
- Type: Inter for body; Source Serif 4 (standing in for Lyon Text) for interface. Hierarchy comes from size and weight, not colour or decoration.
- Everything sits on a 4px grid.
- Corner radii are 4px, 5px, 8px, 12px, fully round (pill) — nothing else.
- Body text uses NotionInter at around 16px, weights 400, 500, 600, 700.
- Headings use the same family as body text; the largest heading is 96px.
- Primary buttons are #0075DE, 8px radius, weight 500.
- Cards use 12px corners.
- Corner radii in use: 8px, 4px, 12px, 9999px (pill), 5px.

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 — 64px tall, centred 14px heading (weight 500), on #FFFFFF.
2. Hero — 1329px tall, centred 96px heading (weight 600), image centred.
3. Grid — 1256px tall, 3 items in 2 columns with 24px gaps, left-aligned 54px heading (weight 700), image on the left.
4. Cards — 808px tall, 3 equal columns, 24px gap, left-aligned 54px heading (weight 700), image centred, on #FFFFFF.
5. Statement — 630px tall, centred 42px heading (weight 700) set mid-band, on #F6F5F4.
6. Footer — 396px tall, split 4 / 8, 24px gap, left-aligned 16px heading (weight 400), on #FFFFFF.
- Content sits in a 1380px container, 106px from the edge at 1440px wide.
- A 44px header scrolls away.
- The hero is 64px (0.1 screens): centred 14px heading (weight 500), on #FFFFFF.
- Column splits on a 12-column grid: halves, thirds, 4/8; gaps of 24px.
- Headings mix left (3) and centred (3) alignment.
- Sections change background 4 times, between #FFFFFF, #F6F5F4: colour comes in full-width bands; #FFFFFF is large rounded panels inside a section instead.
- A typical section is about 808px tall.

COPY SHAPE (MATCH THE LENGTH AND CASE; WRITE YOUR OWN WORDS)
- The main heading is 6 words long.
- Section headings are medium length: typically 5 words.
- Headings are in sentence case (only the first word capitalised).
- The page describes itself in about 20 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 1252px wide, centred, with var(--space-4) (16px) side padding on small screens.
- The largest heading scales fluidly: font-size: clamp(54px, 6.7vw, 96px). 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 (4.6:1), Link on Background (4.6:1), Text on Surface (19.3:1) and On action on Action (4.6:1).
- Only for text 24px and up, or 18.66px bold: Negative on Background (3.5:1), Action on Surface (4.2:1), Link on Surface (4.2:1) and Negative on Surface (3.3:1).
- 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, #F9F9F8, #F6F5F4, #000000, #097FE8, #005BAB, #FFB110, #F64932, #E32D14, #E89D01, #A39E98, #0075DE, #1AAE39. 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.)
- #097FE8 only as small fills (buttons, badges) — never a section background or a large panel. (It covers 1.3% of the page.)
- #005BAB only as small fills (buttons, badges) — never a section background or a large panel. (It covers 1.3% of the page.)
- Only the fonts in the tokens: Inter for body; Source Serif 4 for interface. No other typeface, and no Inter, Roboto or system UI font unless it is one of these. (The page is set in NotionInter and Lyon Text; the tokens carry what stands in for them.)
- Headings and large text never heavier than weight 700. Do not make headlines bold to add emphasis. (Every size from 24px up is set at weight 700 or lighter.)
- Large headlines tracked tight (letter-spacing -0.048em), not at the browser default. (The 96px headline is set at -0.048em.)
- 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, grid, cards, statement, 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 notion.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.
- #097FE8 covers about 1.3% of the page or less, as on the original.
- #005BAB covers about 1.3% of the page or less, as on the original.
- No text 24px or larger has a font-weight above 700.
- The largest headline uses letter-spacing -0.048em.
- Every section, including ones the original does not have, uses only this system's colours, type, shapes and spacing.
- Content sits in a 1380px container with 106px 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.