MozaikaDesign system

Are.na — Design System

light · minimalist · low · custom · confidence 45% · deep decode

Are.na is the anti-design north star: a self-hosted cut of Arial ('Areal') at a flat 16px everywhere, 3px-radius grey buttons, black on white, no imagery the community didn't upload. The refusal is the brand — a connected-knowledge commons typeset like a 1998 default so the ideas stay the interface.

Open in Mozaika →

This is a static, crawlable rendering for search & AI engines. The interactive version — filters, live decode console, copy & export — is at https://mozaika.design/ds/are-na.

Tokens

Are.na's decoded design system: background #FFFFFF, text #000000, accent #00075F, link #00075F, primary #000000; type scale h1 16px / h2 16px / body 16px; 5px spacing base; 0px base radius. The single interactive/action color is #F7F7F7 — used only on interactive or must-notice elements (buttons, links, key highlights), never on large fills.

Color roles

RoleValue
bg#FFFFFF
surface#EFEFEF
border#D8D8D8
text#000000
text_muted#606060
primary#000000
accent#00075F
link#00075F
button_bg#F7F7F7
button_text#333333

Using these colors

Typography

Spacing

Radii

Native design tokens

TokenValue
--colors-channelPrivate2#DFBEBE
--colors-foregroundLightrgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6)
--colors-focus#3D46C2
--colors-red2#DFBEBE
--colors-link#333
--colors-slate#696969
--colors-gray7#000
--colors-channelClosed3#333
--colors-channelPublic1#F4F8F3
--colors-notification#A87253

…and 70 more measured on the page.

Button states (measured)

Layout (measured)

Motion choreography (measured)

Load order: div.c-iYglRF

Overlay recipe (measured)

dialog panel: #FFFFFF · radius 3px · enter 400ms linear

Themes

dark counterpart: background #000000, text #FFFFFF.

Responsive (measured)

Per-section tokens (7)

Export: DESIGN.md

# Are.na — Design System

> light, minimalist, low, custom — deep decode (measured live)

Are.na is the anti-design north star: a self-hosted cut of Arial ('Areal') at a flat 16px everywhere, 3px-radius grey buttons, black on white, no imagery the community didn't upload. The refusal is the brand — a connected-knowledge commons typeset like a 1998 default so the ideas stay the interface.

## Colors

| Role | Value |
|------|-------|
| bg | `#FFFFFF` |
| surface | `#EFEFEF` |
| border | `#D8D8D8` |
| text | `#000000` |
| text_muted | `#606060` |
| primary | `#000000` |
| accent | `#00075F` |
| link | `#00075F` |
| button_bg | `#F7F7F7` |
| button_text | `#333333` |

**Using these colors**

- **Action color** `#F7F7F7` — the single interactive color; it appears only on things you click or must notice (buttons, key highlights), never on large fills or backgrounds.
- `accent`, `link` are all `#00075F` — one role, not several.
- **accent** `#00075F` — accent for emphasis — keep it rare on the page.
- **primary** `#000000` — ≈ the text color — a foreground/text color, not an action color (action = #F7F7F7).
- **Page coverage** (full-page screenshot pixels): `#FFFFFF` 95.4% · `#B2B2B2` 1.6% · `#D0CFCF` 1.1% · `#E8E7E7` 1.1%

## Typography

- Heading: **Arial**
- Body: **Arial**

| Role | Size / weight · line-height · tracking |
|------|------------------------------------------|
| body | 16px / 400 · lh 23px |
| small | 14px / 700 · lh 21px |

- Weight ladder: 400 · 700 — use these exact measured weights, not the 400/600 defaults.

> **Fonts —** Arial — system font, no web load needed.

## Spacing
- base unit: 5px (inferred from the measured scale)
- measured scale: 5px, 10px, 15px, 20px, 25px, 35px, 65px, 100px, 130px — snap all gaps/padding to these

## Radius
- base: 0px
- button: 3px
- card: 50px
- sharp: 3px

## Buttons

| Button | Fill / text | Border | Radius | Padding | Font | Shadow |
|--------|-------------|--------|--------|---------|------|--------|
| primary | `#F7F7F7` / `#333333` | 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) | 3px | 0px 10px 0px 10px | 700 12.5px | none |
| secondary | `#F7F7F7` / `#333333` | 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) | 3px | 0px 10px 0px 10px | 700 12.5px | none |

**States (measured, not guessed)**

- primary hover: border `1px solid rgb(222, 222, 222)` · color `#000000`
- primary focus: border `1px solid rgb(61, 70, 194)` · color `#000000`
- secondary hover: border `1px solid rgb(222, 222, 222)` · color `#000000`

## Their own tokens (verbatim from :root)

| Token | Value |
|-------|-------|
| `--colors-channelPrivate2` | `#DFBEBE` |
| `--colors-foregroundLight` | `rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6)` |
| `--colors-focus` | `#3D46C2` |
| `--colors-red2` | `#DFBEBE` |
| `--colors-link` | `#333` |
| `--colors-slate` | `#696969` |
| `--colors-gray7` | `#000` |
| `--colors-channelClosed3` | `#333` |
| `--colors-channelPublic1` | `#F4F8F3` |
| `--colors-notification` | `#A87253` |
| `--colors-foregroundShadow` | `rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08)` |
| `--colors-gray3` | `#DEDEDE` |

_…and 68 more measured on the page._

Prefer these names when extending their system — it's the brand's actual vocabulary.

## Layout (measured)
- container max 650px · common grid: 12-col
- nav: 55px fixed · bg #FFFFFF

| Section (y) | Height | Cols | Gap | Pad y | Split |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 2603 | 12 | 15 | 0/0 | — |

## Motion choreography (measured)
Load order: `div.c-iYglRF` @0ms
- overlay dialog (auto-opened): panel #FFFFFF · r 3px · border 1px solid rgb(237, 237, 237) · shadow rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08) 0px 0px 20px 0px
  - enter: transform+opacity from translateY(-10px) scale(0.96),0 · 400ms linear

Rebuild the timeline, not just the durations — order, delays and staggers above are the choreography.

## Components (measured)
- link: #333333 · no underline

## Themes (both measured)
- dark counterpart: bg `#000000` · text `#FFFFFF`
- tokens that flip between modes:
  - `--colors-channelPrivate2`: `#DFBEBE` → `#412020`
  - `--colors-foregroundLight`: `rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6)` → `rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8)`
  - `--colors-focus`: `#3D46C2` → `#5E6DEE`
  - `--colors-red2`: `#DFBEBE` → `#412020`
  - `--colors-link`: `#333` → `#E5E5E5`
  - `--colors-slate`: `#696969` → `#B2B2B2`
  - `--colors-gray7`: `#000` → `#FFF`
  - `--colors-channelClosed3`: `#333` → `#E5E5E5`

## Responsive (measured)
- breakpoints: 520px · 900px · 1800px
- mobile (390px): body 16px · nav: inline

## How to apply
Paste the Tailwind `@theme` (or CSS variables) as your base, then build each
section to its spec — verify every color, radius, and font against these tokens.
Hover/focus states, shadows and motion timings above are measured from the live page — match them exactly, don't re-guess them.

---

> **Decoded with Mozaika** — measured live, not guessed. Full decoded design system + one-command install: mozaika.design/ds/are-na

Export: Tailwind v4 (@theme)

@theme {
  /* action color #F7F7F7 — the one interactive color; buttons/links/emphasis only, never large fills. */
  --color-bg: #FFFFFF;
  --color-surface: #EFEFEF;
  --color-border: #D8D8D8;
  --color-text: #000000;
  --color-text-muted: #606060;
  --color-primary: #000000;  /* ≈ the text color — a foreground/text color, not an action color (action = #F7F7F7). */
  --color-accent: #00075F;  /* accent for emphasis — keep it rare on the page. */
  --color-link: #00075F;  /* inline text links and link-styled controls. */
  --color-button-bg: #F7F7F7;  /* primary-button fill — the main call-to-action color. */
  --color-button-text: #333333;
  /* fonts: Arial — system font, no web load needed. */
  --font-heading: "Arial", system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;
  --font-body: "Arial", system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;
  /* measured weights: 400, 700 — use these, not 400/600 */
  --text-body: 16px; --font-weight-body: 400; --leading-body: 23px;
  --text-small: 14px; --font-weight-small: 700; --leading-small: 21px;
  --radius-base: 0px;
  --radius-button: 3px;
  --radius-card: 50px;
  --radius-sharp: 3px;
  --spacing: 5px;  /* measured base — drives the p-*/gap-* scale. steps seen on the page: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 35, 65, 100, 130px */
}

Export: CSS variables

:root {
  /* action color #F7F7F7 — the one interactive color; buttons/links/emphasis only, never large fills. */
  --bg: #FFFFFF;
  --surface: #EFEFEF;
  --border: #D8D8D8;
  --text: #000000;
  --text-muted: #606060;
  --primary: #000000;  /* ≈ the text color — a foreground/text color, not an action color (action = #F7F7F7). */
  --accent: #00075F;  /* accent for emphasis — keep it rare on the page. */
  --link: #00075F;  /* inline text links and link-styled controls. */
  --button-bg: #F7F7F7;  /* primary-button fill — the main call-to-action color. */
  --button-text: #333333;
  --font-heading: "Arial", system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;
  --font-body: "Arial", system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;
  --text-body: 16px; --weight-body: 400; --leading-body: 23px;
  --text-small: 14px; --weight-small: 700; --leading-small: 21px;
  --radius: 0px;
  --radius-button: 3px;
  --radius-card: 50px;
  --radius-sharp: 3px;
}

/* their own tokens, verbatim from the site's :root */
:root {
  --colors-channelPrivate2: #DFBEBE;
  --colors-foregroundLight: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6);
  --colors-focus: #3D46C2;
  --colors-red2: #DFBEBE;
  --colors-link: #333;
  --colors-slate: #696969;
  --colors-gray7: #000;
  --colors-channelClosed3: #333;
  --colors-channelPublic1: #F4F8F3;
  --colors-notification: #A87253;
  --colors-foregroundShadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
  --colors-gray3: #DEDEDE;
}
/* fonts: Arial — system font, no web load needed. */