Observable — design system & UI screens

Data · 1 screen · 11 sections · observablehq.com

The hero pairs a wide serif headline ("Not your typical notebook") set against a black band layered with live scatter-plot notebook screenshots and raw JS code, signaling the reactive-notebook product immediately. The signature element is the oversized literary serif typography (used for every section title like "Collaborate and share" and "Batteries included") combined with a dense, fully saturated cobalt-blue mid-page where white-stroke icon feature tiles and inline highlighted code snippets sit edge-to-edge. A mint-green testimonial band and a final black serif CTA close the rhythm before a dark footer.

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/website/observable.

Decoded design system

Observable's decoded design system: background #F5F5F5, text #1C1C1C, accent #1C1C1C, link #37D5BE, primary #1690F6; type scale h1 56px / h2 40px / body 20px; 8px spacing base; 2px base radius. The single interactive/action color is #1C1C1C — used only on interactive or must-notice elements (buttons, links, key highlights), never on large fills.

Color roles

Role	Value
bg	`#F5F5F5`
surface	`#E7E7E7`
border	`#D4D4D4`
text	`#1C1C1C`
text_muted	`#6E6E6E`
primary	`#1690F6`
accent	`#1C1C1C`
link	`#37D5BE`
secondary	`#FFFF00`
button_bg	`#1C1C1C`
button_text	`#FFFFFF`

Using these colors

Action color #1C1C1C — the single interactive color; only on things you click or must notice, never large fills.
accent, button_bg are all #1C1C1C — one role, not several (the action color).
accent #1C1C1C — THE accent / action color — interactive & must-notice only (buttons, links, focus, one key highlight); never large fills or backgrounds. Scarcity is what makes it read as designed.
primary #1690F6 — a brand color — but the call-to-action uses #1C1C1C, not this.
link #37D5BE — fails contrast on the background (~1.7:1) — this is a dark UI color, NOT a readable link; use the text or action color for links (verify against the reference).
secondary #FFFF00 — optional secondary accent — LOW decode confidence; use rarely (a status color or a single decorative moment) or omit it entirely. Prefer one accent unless the reference clearly shows two.

Typography

Heading: Spline Sans Mono
Body: Inter
Mono: __Spline_Sans_Mono_1999fd
h1: 56px
h2: 40px
body: 20px

Spacing

base unit: 8px
scale: 2px, 8px, 10px, 15px, 16px, 21px, 24px, 32px, 34px, 48px

Radii

base: 2px
button: 0px

Shadows (elevation)

subtle: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 0px 0px 0px 0px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 10px 15px -3px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 0px 4px 6px -4px
card: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12) 0px 4px 15px 0px

Motion

Micro-interactions run at 200ms (dominant) with ease-in-out.

durations: 200ms · 100ms · 150ms
easings: ease-in-out · cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1)
animated properties: opacity, border-color, height, background-color

Native design tokens

Token	Value
`--black`	`#000`
`--white`	`#fff`
`--near-black`	`#1c1c1c`
`--dark-gray`	`#454545`
`--mid-gray`	`#6e6e6e`
`--moon-gray`	`#c4c4c4`
`--light-gray`	`#e2e2e2`
`--near-white`	`#f5f5f5`
`--gray`	`#929292`
`--silver`	`#e8e8e8`

…and 110 more measured on the page.

Button states (measured)

primary hover: background #EEEEEE
primary focus: outline 1px auto rgb(16, 16, 16)

Layout (measured)

nav: 64px sticky
common grid: 12 columns

Motion choreography (measured)

Load order: div.jsx-3b5ab7e5d596c6f5 → div.jsx-1468fe3ac7fdbbd4×17 → div.jsx-33d4ea7186cd0717×10

Scroll reveal: 3 elements rest at a pre-reveal state.

Responsive (measured)

breakpoints: 450px · 480px · 640px · 768px · 800px · 960px
mobile (390px): hero 28px · nav hamburger

Full design system, per-section tokens & DESIGN.md / Tailwind / CSS exports →

Screens

Observable data-notebook landing with serif hero and saturated-blue feature stack