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design language·andon

Andon

A portable design language for agents: download the markdown first, then inspect the preview, tokens, and rules as needed.

Download DESIGN.md

Portable DESIGN.md source of truth for most agents and apps.

the spec

specification

philosophy
summary
Andon keeps the soul of Ma Wabi-Sabi Spatial Minimalism — Japanese ma (the meaningful interval), wabi-sabi imperfection, quiet affordance, and MUJI no-brand restraint — and reconceives its expression around one physical truth the parent only named in passing: light as hierarchy. A single warm lamp falls across the interface; the surfaces it reaches sit forward, the rest recede into warm shadow, and the one active element catches a thin amber seam. Emptiness is no longer a labelled blank bay but the unlit interval between pools of light. There are no borders; light and shadow do the structural work. An andon — the paper-and-cedar lantern — names the language and sets its behaviour: paper glows, wood frames, shadow holds the room, and one warm amber is the only saturated colour.
values
Light as hierarchyActive emptinessMaterial restraintQuiet affordanceWeathered precisionNo-brand neutrality
anti-values
×Ornamental Japanism×Luxury-spa softness×Tech-showroom gloss×Over-compression
tokens
colors14 items
bg
#F5F0E7
surface
#FBF8F1
surface_solid
#FFFFFF
text
#1C1712
muted
#6A6154
border
#E4DCCC
accent
#C07A2B
accent_2
#9A5A2A
accent_soft
#EFDFC4
on_accent
#F7EFDF
success
#5E6B3C
warning
#9A6B22
error
#8C3A2B
info
#456068
typography10 items
base size
17px
body font
IBM Plex Sans
heading font
Shippori Mincho
mono font
IBM Plex Mono
heading weight
700
heading transform
none
letter spacing
-0.02em
line height
1.6
scale ratio
1.25
google fonts url
https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=IBM+Plex+Mono:wght@400;500&family=IBM+Plex+Sans:wght@400;500;600&family=Shippori+Mincho:wght@500;600;700;800&display=swap
radii4 items
none
0px
md
16px
lg
24px
full
9999px
shadows3 items
sm
0 1px 2px rgba(28,23,18,.06), 0 2px 8px rgba(28,23,18,.045)
md
0 10px 34px rgba(28,23,18,.10), 0 2px 8px rgba(28,23,18,.06)
lg
0 26px 74px rgba(28,23,18,.15), 0 6px 20px rgba(28,23,18,.085)
spacing2 items
base
8px
scale
4px, 8px, 12px, 16px, 24px, 32px, 48px, 64px, 96px, 128px
surfaces3 items
treatment
paper-plaster under lamplight
card style
Lit paper planes modelled by a soft warm directional light and shadow; elevation is depth into the light; no borders.
bg pattern
warm directional light-fall gradient with a faint material grain
borders4 items
default width
0px
accent width
2px
style
luminous-seam
character
No borders. Structure is read from light and soft shadow; the only edge is a single 2px warm amber seam that marks the active/lit element.
motion3 items
duration
260ms
easing
cubic-bezier(0.22,0.61,0.18,1)
philosophy
A lamp brightening — elements warm into presence and recede into shadow; deliberate settle, no bounce, no celebration.
rules
composition
Model a quiet asymmetrical grid with one unlit shadow gutter as the ma interval; place primary work in the pool of light slightly off-centre; separate major regions with 48-96px of interval. Hierarchy is luminance before type or colour.
hierarchy
Priority is how much light a surface catches: lit paper planes sit forward with a soft warm shadow; the single active element carries a 2px amber seam. Display type is Shippori Mincho; micro labels are IBM Plex Mono; amber appears only on the seam, selection, and one call to action.
density

Medium-low with deliberate pauses; lists compact but never crowded; forms full-height; the screen feels edited, the shadow between objects part of the content.

signature patterns
Lampfall pool: a soft warm luminance gradient plus a matching drop shadow models every raised plane; elevation is depth into the light.The seam: a single 2px luminous amber line marks the one active/lit element and nothing else.Shadow gutter: the ma interval rendered as an unlit column or band — structure by absence of light.Lantern-body primary: the primary button is a dark warm cedar-ink panel with a bright amber top seam and cream label.Recessed well: inputs are soft inset shadow wells with no border; on focus the well brightens and the amber seam appears at its lit edge.
layout
density

Medium-low; every cluster gets enough shadow to read as a deliberate pause.

grid

12-column field, max width ~1360px; one column is left as an unlit shadow gutter (ma); content offset into the remaining columns.

whitespace

Active structure: 48px minimum between regions, 64px around decision areas, 96px where the reader should slow.

breakpoints
desktop
1200px and above: 12 columns with the shadow gutter
tablet
768-1199px: 8 columns, gutter becomes a top interval
mobile
0-767px: single column, intervals reduce to 32px but stay visible
responsive

Collapse side rails beneath the main panel on tablet; stack panels on mobile; keep controls 44px; let tables become card rows rather than overflow.

guidance
do
  • Model hierarchy with light and shadow first; reach for the amber seam only to mark the one active element.
  • Keep one warm directional light across a whole screen so the modelling is coherent.
  • Let the ma interval be a genuine unlit gutter; leave it empty.
  • Use warm cream labels on the dark lantern-body primary button for high contrast.
  • Keep body text at 17px and letter-spacing at -0.02em on display type.
  • Reserve #FFFFFF for the brightest lit surfaces and warm off-white for paper planes.
avoid
  • Do not draw boxes or grey borders; the seam and the shadow do the work.
  • Do not give a card a decorative accent edge — the seam only marks the active element.
  • Do not use gradients as decoration, glassmorphism, neon, or gloss.
  • Do not decorate with literal Japanese motifs.
  • Do not centre every section or pack the screen.
  • Do not use random radii such as 8px, 12px, or 20px.
imagery
summary
Umbra tenebrist chiaroscuro: one warm low light rakes matte imperfect material (lime plaster, washi, unglazed clay, weathered cedar) out of deep warm shadow, with a single luminous amber seam. Contemplative, wabi-sabi, film-photographic scenes of lanterns, alcoves, and quiet interiors.
pairs with

umbra

katagami spec
# Andon

## Philosophy

Andon keeps the soul of Ma Wabi-Sabi Spatial Minimalism — Japanese ma (the meaningful interval), wabi-sabi imperfection, quiet affordance, and MUJI no-brand restraint — and reconceives its expression around one physical truth the parent only named in passing: light as hierarchy. A single warm lamp falls across the interface; the surfaces it reaches sit forward, the rest recede into warm shadow, and the one active element catches a thin amber seam. Emptiness is no longer a labelled blank bay but the unlit interval between pools of light. There are no borders; light and shadow do the structural work. An andon — the paper-and-cedar lantern — names the language and sets its behaviour: paper glows, wood frames, shadow holds the room, and one warm amber is the only saturated colour.

### Values

- {"name":"Light as hierarchy","explanation":"Priority is luminance — the most important surface is the one the lamp has reached; the rest waits in warm shadow."}
- {"name":"Active emptiness","explanation":"The dark interval between lit elements is structure; ma survives as the shadow gutter the light does not fill."}
- {"name":"Material restraint","explanation":"Surfaces read as lime plaster, washi, unglazed clay, and cedar through soft directional shadow and faint grain, never illustration."}
- {"name":"Quiet affordance","explanation":"A control is legible because the light models it — a raised plane, a recessed well — not because it is boxed or coloured."}
- {"name":"Weathered precision","explanation":"The grid is measured and rigorous; imperfection lives in the grain and the warmth of the light."}
- {"name":"No-brand neutrality","explanation":"The interface recedes behind the work — one warm accent, quiet type, sparse labels."}

### Anti-Values

- {"name":"Ornamental Japanism","explanation":"No cherry blossoms, faux calligraphy, red sun discs, or motif wallpaper; the aesthetic is carried by light, interval, and material."}
- {"name":"Luxury-spa softness","explanation":"No beige-on-beige wash, no pillowy oversized controls; the warmth is lamplight on matte material."}
- {"name":"Tech-showroom gloss","explanation":"No glassmorphism, neon, gradient buttons, or SaaS-hero effects; the glow is a wick, not a screen."}
- {"name":"Over-compression","explanation":"The screen is never packed to prove efficiency; the shadow between objects is part of the content."}

### Visual Character

- A warm directional lamplight falls across every screen from one side; lit surfaces sit forward, unlit surfaces recede.
- Lit paper planes carry a soft warm top gradient and a matching soft shadow, with no borders.
- The active element catches a single 2px luminous amber seam on its lit edge; nothing else gets an edge.
- The ma interval is an unlit shadow gutter — a column or band the light does not reach — separating regions without a rule.
- Warm amber is the only saturated colour, used like the glow of a wick — on the seam, on selection, on one call to action.

## Tokens

### Colors

| Name | Value |
|------|-------|
| bg | `#F5F0E7` |
| surface | `#FBF8F1` |
| surface_solid | `#FFFFFF` |
| text | `#1C1712` |
| muted | `#6A6154` |
| border | `#E4DCCC` |
| accent | `#C07A2B` |
| accent_2 | `#9A5A2A` |
| accent_soft | `#EFDFC4` |
| on_accent | `#F7EFDF` |
| success | `#5E6B3C` |
| warning | `#9A6B22` |
| error | `#8C3A2B` |
| info | `#456068` |

### Typography

- **Base Size**: 17px
- **Body Font**: IBM Plex Sans
- **Heading Font**: Shippori Mincho
- **Mono Font**: IBM Plex Mono
- **Heading Weight**: 700
- **Heading Transform**: none
- **Letter Spacing**: -0.02em
- **Line Height**: 1.6
- **Scale Ratio**: 1.25
- **Google Fonts Url**: https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=IBM+Plex+Mono:wght@400;500&family=IBM+Plex+Sans:wght@400;500;600&family=Shippori+Mincho:wght@500;600;700;800&display=swap

### Radii

- **None**: 0px
- **Md**: 16px
- **Lg**: 24px
- **Full**: 9999px

### Shadows

- **Sm**: 0 1px 2px rgba(28,23,18,.06), 0 2px 8px rgba(28,23,18,.045)
- **Md**: 0 10px 34px rgba(28,23,18,.10), 0 2px 8px rgba(28,23,18,.06)
- **Lg**: 0 26px 74px rgba(28,23,18,.15), 0 6px 20px rgba(28,23,18,.085)

### Spacing

- **Base**: 8px
- **Scale**: ["4px","8px","12px","16px","24px","32px","48px","64px","96px","128px"]

### Surfaces

- **Treatment**: paper-plaster under lamplight
- **Card Style**: Lit paper planes modelled by a soft warm directional light and shadow; elevation is depth into the light; no borders.
- **Bg Pattern**: warm directional light-fall gradient with a faint material grain

### Borders

- **Default Width**: 0px
- **Accent Width**: 2px
- **Style**: luminous-seam
- **Character**: No borders. Structure is read from light and soft shadow; the only edge is a single 2px warm amber seam that marks the active/lit element.

### Motion

- **Duration**: 260ms
- **Easing**: cubic-bezier(0.22,0.61,0.18,1)
- **Philosophy**: A lamp brightening — elements warm into presence and recede into shadow; deliberate settle, no bounce, no celebration.

## Rules

### Composition

Model a quiet asymmetrical grid with one unlit shadow gutter as the ma interval; place primary work in the pool of light slightly off-centre; separate major regions with 48-96px of interval. Hierarchy is luminance before type or colour.

### Hierarchy

Priority is how much light a surface catches: lit paper planes sit forward with a soft warm shadow; the single active element carries a 2px amber seam. Display type is Shippori Mincho; micro labels are IBM Plex Mono; amber appears only on the seam, selection, and one call to action.

### Density

Medium-low with deliberate pauses; lists compact but never crowded; forms full-height; the screen feels edited, the shadow between objects part of the content.

### Signature Patterns

- Lampfall pool: a soft warm luminance gradient plus a matching drop shadow models every raised plane; elevation is depth into the light.
- The seam: a single 2px luminous amber line marks the one active/lit element and nothing else.
- Shadow gutter: the ma interval rendered as an unlit column or band — structure by absence of light.
- Lantern-body primary: the primary button is a dark warm cedar-ink panel with a bright amber top seam and cream label.
- Recessed well: inputs are soft inset shadow wells with no border; on focus the well brightens and the amber seam appears at its lit edge.

## Layout

### Density

Medium-low; every cluster gets enough shadow to read as a deliberate pause.

### Grid

12-column field, max width ~1360px; one column is left as an unlit shadow gutter (ma); content offset into the remaining columns.

### Whitespace

Active structure: 48px minimum between regions, 64px around decision areas, 96px where the reader should slow.

### Breakpoints

- **Desktop**: 1200px and above: 12 columns with the shadow gutter
- **Tablet**: 768-1199px: 8 columns, gutter becomes a top interval
- **Mobile**: 0-767px: single column, intervals reduce to 32px but stay visible

### Responsive

Collapse side rails beneath the main panel on tablet; stack panels on mobile; keep controls 44px; let tables become card rows rather than overflow.

## Guidance

### Do

- Model hierarchy with light and shadow first; reach for the amber seam only to mark the one active element.
- Keep one warm directional light across a whole screen so the modelling is coherent.
- Let the ma interval be a genuine unlit gutter; leave it empty.
- Use warm cream labels on the dark lantern-body primary button for high contrast.
- Keep body text at 17px and letter-spacing at -0.02em on display type.
- Reserve #FFFFFF for the brightest lit surfaces and warm off-white for paper planes.

### Don't

- Do not draw boxes or grey borders; the seam and the shadow do the work.
- Do not give a card a decorative accent edge — the seam only marks the active element.
- Do not use gradients as decoration, glassmorphism, neon, or gloss.
- Do not decorate with literal Japanese motifs.
- Do not centre every section or pack the screen.
- Do not use random radii such as 8px, 12px, or 20px.

### Usage Context

Editorial desks and archives, calm operations dashboards, material libraries and catalogues, focused planning and reading tools — anywhere reduction, placing, and careful reading matter.

### Accessibility

Maintain WCAG AA contrast (cream on warm shadow, ink on lit paper); focus states raise a visible amber seam plus ring; never encode status by colour alone (status dots plus labels); keep touch targets at least 44px; keep grain behind content at low opacity.

## Imagery Direction

### Summary

Umbra tenebrist chiaroscuro: one warm low light rakes matte imperfect material (lime plaster, washi, unglazed clay, weathered cedar) out of deep warm shadow, with a single luminous amber seam. Contemplative, wabi-sabi, film-photographic scenes of lanterns, alcoves, and quiet interiors.

### Pairs With

umbra
DESIGN.md
---
version: "alpha"
name: "Andon"
description: "Agent-curated design language exported from Katagami as DESIGN.md."
colors:
  bg: "#F5F0E7"
  surface: "#FBF8F1"
  surface_solid: "#FFFFFF"
  text: "#1C1712"
  muted: "#6A6154"
  border: "#E4DCCC"
  accent: "#C07A2B"
  accent_2: "#9A5A2A"
  accent_soft: "#EFDFC4"
  on_accent: "#F7EFDF"
  success: "#5E6B3C"
  warning: "#9A6B22"
  error: "#8C3A2B"
  info: "#456068"
typography:
  headline-lg:
    fontFamily: "Shippori Mincho"
    fontSize: "2.075rem"
    fontWeight: 700
    lineHeight: 1.1
    letterSpacing: "-0.02em"
  headline-md:
    fontFamily: "Shippori Mincho"
    fontSize: "1.66rem"
    fontWeight: 600
    lineHeight: 1.15
    letterSpacing: "-0.02em"
  body-md:
    fontFamily: "IBM Plex Sans"
    fontSize: "17px"
    fontWeight: 400
    lineHeight: 1.6
    letterSpacing: "-0.02em"
  label-md:
    fontFamily: "IBM Plex Mono"
    fontSize: "0.75rem"
    fontWeight: 600
    lineHeight: 1
    letterSpacing: "0.08em"
rounded:
  none: "0px"
  md: "16px"
  lg: "24px"
  full: "9999px"
spacing:
  base: "8px"
  xs: "4px"
  sm: "8px"
  md: "12px"
  lg: "16px"
  xl: "24px"
  2xl: "32px"
  3xl: "48px"
  4xl: "64px"
  step-8: "96px"
  step-9: "128px"
components:
  color-reference-bg:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.bg}"
  color-reference-surface:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.surface}"
  color-reference-surface_solid:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.surface_solid}"
  color-reference-text:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.text}"
  color-reference-muted:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.muted}"
  color-reference-border:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.border}"
  color-reference-accent:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.accent}"
  color-reference-accent_2:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.accent_2}"
  color-reference-accent_soft:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.accent_soft}"
  color-reference-on_accent:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.on_accent}"
  color-reference-success:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.success}"
  color-reference-warning:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.warning}"
  color-reference-error:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.error}"
  color-reference-info:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.info}"
  button-primary:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.accent}"
    textColor: "#000000"
    typography: "{typography.label-md}"
    rounded: "{rounded.md}"
    padding: "{spacing.md}"
  card-surface:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.surface}"
    textColor: "{colors.text}"
    rounded: "{rounded.md}"
    padding: "{spacing.md}"
  input-default:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.surface}"
    textColor: "{colors.text}"
    rounded: "{rounded.md}"
    height: "44px"
---

# Andon

## Overview

Andon keeps the soul of Ma Wabi-Sabi Spatial Minimalism — Japanese ma (the meaningful interval), wabi-sabi imperfection, quiet affordance, and MUJI no-brand restraint — and reconceives its expression around one physical truth the parent only named in passing: light as hierarchy. A single warm lamp falls across the interface; the surfaces it reaches sit forward, the rest recede into warm shadow, and the one active element catches a thin amber seam. Emptiness is no longer a labelled blank bay but the unlit interval between pools of light. There are no borders; light and shadow do the structural work. An andon — the paper-and-cedar lantern — names the language and sets its behaviour: paper glows, wood frames, shadow holds the room, and one warm amber is the only saturated colour.

### Values

- {"name":"Light as hierarchy","explanation":"Priority is luminance — the most important surface is the one the lamp has reached; the rest waits in warm shadow."}
- {"name":"Active emptiness","explanation":"The dark interval between lit elements is structure; ma survives as the shadow gutter the light does not fill."}
- {"name":"Material restraint","explanation":"Surfaces read as lime plaster, washi, unglazed clay, and cedar through soft directional shadow and faint grain, never illustration."}
- {"name":"Quiet affordance","explanation":"A control is legible because the light models it — a raised plane, a recessed well — not because it is boxed or coloured."}
- {"name":"Weathered precision","explanation":"The grid is measured and rigorous; imperfection lives in the grain and the warmth of the light."}
- {"name":"No-brand neutrality","explanation":"The interface recedes behind the work — one warm accent, quiet type, sparse labels."}

### Anti-Values

- {"name":"Ornamental Japanism","explanation":"No cherry blossoms, faux calligraphy, red sun discs, or motif wallpaper; the aesthetic is carried by light, interval, and material."}
- {"name":"Luxury-spa softness","explanation":"No beige-on-beige wash, no pillowy oversized controls; the warmth is lamplight on matte material."}
- {"name":"Tech-showroom gloss","explanation":"No glassmorphism, neon, gradient buttons, or SaaS-hero effects; the glow is a wick, not a screen."}
- {"name":"Over-compression","explanation":"The screen is never packed to prove efficiency; the shadow between objects is part of the content."}

### Visual Character

- A warm directional lamplight falls across every screen from one side; lit surfaces sit forward, unlit surfaces recede.
- Lit paper planes carry a soft warm top gradient and a matching soft shadow, with no borders.
- The active element catches a single 2px luminous amber seam on its lit edge; nothing else gets an edge.
- The ma interval is an unlit shadow gutter — a column or band the light does not reach — separating regions without a rule.
- Warm amber is the only saturated colour, used like the glow of a wick — on the seam, on selection, on one call to action.

## Colors

Use the YAML color tokens as the normative palette. The prose below names the roles agents should preserve when generating UI.

| Token | Value |
|-------|-------|
| bg | `#F5F0E7` |
| surface | `#FBF8F1` |
| surface_solid | `#FFFFFF` |
| text | `#1C1712` |
| muted | `#6A6154` |
| border | `#E4DCCC` |
| accent | `#C07A2B` |
| accent_2 | `#9A5A2A` |
| accent_soft | `#EFDFC4` |
| on_accent | `#F7EFDF` |
| success | `#5E6B3C` |
| warning | `#9A6B22` |
| error | `#8C3A2B` |
| info | `#456068` |

## Typography

- **Headline-Lg**: Shippori Mincho, 2.075rem, weight 700, line-height 1.1.
- **Headline-Md**: Shippori Mincho, 1.66rem, weight 600, line-height 1.15.
- **Body-Md**: IBM Plex Sans, 17px, weight 400, line-height 1.6.
- **Label-Md**: IBM Plex Mono, 0.75rem, weight 600, line-height 1.

## Layout

### Spacing Tokens

- **Base**: `8px`
- **Xs**: `4px`
- **Sm**: `8px`
- **Md**: `12px`
- **Lg**: `16px`
- **Xl**: `24px`
- **2xl**: `32px`
- **3xl**: `48px`
- **4xl**: `64px`
- **Step-8**: `96px`
- **Step-9**: `128px`

### Density

Medium-low; every cluster gets enough shadow to read as a deliberate pause.

### Grid

12-column field, max width ~1360px; one column is left as an unlit shadow gutter (ma); content offset into the remaining columns.

### Whitespace

Active structure: 48px minimum between regions, 64px around decision areas, 96px where the reader should slow.

### Breakpoints

- **Desktop**: 1200px and above: 12 columns with the shadow gutter
- **Tablet**: 768-1199px: 8 columns, gutter becomes a top interval
- **Mobile**: 0-767px: single column, intervals reduce to 32px but stay visible

### Responsive

Collapse side rails beneath the main panel on tablet; stack panels on mobile; keep controls 44px; let tables become card rows rather than overflow.

## Elevation & Depth

### Shadows

- **Sm**: 0 1px 2px rgba(28,23,18,.06), 0 2px 8px rgba(28,23,18,.045)
- **Md**: 0 10px 34px rgba(28,23,18,.10), 0 2px 8px rgba(28,23,18,.06)
- **Lg**: 0 26px 74px rgba(28,23,18,.15), 0 6px 20px rgba(28,23,18,.085)

## Shapes

### Rounded

- **None**: `0px`
- **Md**: `16px`
- **Lg**: `24px`
- **Full**: `9999px`

### Surfaces

- **Treatment**: paper-plaster under lamplight
- **Card Style**: Lit paper planes modelled by a soft warm directional light and shadow; elevation is depth into the light; no borders.
- **Bg Pattern**: warm directional light-fall gradient with a faint material grain

### Borders

- **Default Width**: 0px
- **Accent Width**: 2px
- **Style**: luminous-seam
- **Character**: No borders. Structure is read from light and soft shadow; the only edge is a single 2px warm amber seam that marks the active/lit element.

## Components

### Composition

Model a quiet asymmetrical grid with one unlit shadow gutter as the ma interval; place primary work in the pool of light slightly off-centre; separate major regions with 48-96px of interval. Hierarchy is luminance before type or colour.

### Hierarchy

Priority is how much light a surface catches: lit paper planes sit forward with a soft warm shadow; the single active element carries a 2px amber seam. Display type is Shippori Mincho; micro labels are IBM Plex Mono; amber appears only on the seam, selection, and one call to action.

### Density

Medium-low with deliberate pauses; lists compact but never crowded; forms full-height; the screen feels edited, the shadow between objects part of the content.

### Signature Patterns

- Lampfall pool: a soft warm luminance gradient plus a matching drop shadow models every raised plane; elevation is depth into the light.
- The seam: a single 2px luminous amber line marks the one active/lit element and nothing else.
- Shadow gutter: the ma interval rendered as an unlit column or band — structure by absence of light.
- Lantern-body primary: the primary button is a dark warm cedar-ink panel with a bright amber top seam and cream label.
- Recessed well: inputs are soft inset shadow wells with no border; on focus the well brightens and the amber seam appears at its lit edge.

## shadcn/ui Usage

When the target app uses shadcn/ui, copy DESIGN.md with shadcn instead of the plain DESIGN.md. It contains the same Katagami design-language source plus the shadcn/ui primitives, imports, theme variables, component recipes, and preview-shot guidance.

DESIGN.md with shadcn: `/language/en-019f8af8-d1d6-7501-8b46-e22c51f016bd/DESIGN.with-shadcn.md`.

The shadcn page also exposes optional machine-readable files for automation, but the human-facing handoff is DESIGN.md with shadcn.

Install recommended primitives with `npx shadcn@latest add button card input textarea select dialog sheet tabs badge separator checkbox switch slider tooltip dropdown-menu table`.

Use these primitives in shadcn apps:
- button
- card
- input
- textarea
- select
- dialog
- sheet
- tabs
- badge
- separator
- checkbox
- switch
- slider
- tooltip
- dropdown-menu
- table

Implementation rule for agents: import shadcn primitives from `@/components/ui/*`, apply the generated CSS variables first, then compose the language-specific recipes from the companion MD. Katagami remains the source of truth; shadcn names are the implementation surface.

## Do's and Don'ts

- Do Model hierarchy with light and shadow first; reach for the amber seam only to mark the one active element.
- Do Keep one warm directional light across a whole screen so the modelling is coherent.
- Do Let the ma interval be a genuine unlit gutter; leave it empty.
- Do Use warm cream labels on the dark lantern-body primary button for high contrast.
- Do Keep body text at 17px and letter-spacing at -0.02em on display type.
- Do Reserve #FFFFFF for the brightest lit surfaces and warm off-white for paper planes.
- Don't Do not draw boxes or grey borders; the seam and the shadow do the work.
- Don't Do not give a card a decorative accent edge — the seam only marks the active element.
- Don't Do not use gradients as decoration, glassmorphism, neon, or gloss.
- Don't Do not decorate with literal Japanese motifs.
- Don't Do not centre every section or pack the screen.
- Don't Do not use random radii such as 8px, 12px, or 20px.

### Usage Context

Editorial desks and archives, calm operations dashboards, material libraries and catalogues, focused planning and reading tools — anywhere reduction, placing, and careful reading matter.

### Accessibility

Maintain WCAG AA contrast (cream on warm shadow, ink on lit paper); focus states raise a visible amber seam plus ring; never encode status by colour alone (status dots plus labels); keep touch targets at least 44px; keep grain behind content at low opacity.

## Imagery Direction

### Summary

Umbra tenebrist chiaroscuro: one warm low light rakes matte imperfect material (lime plaster, washi, unglazed clay, weathered cedar) out of deep warm shadow, with a single luminous amber seam. Contemplative, wabi-sabi, film-photographic scenes of lanterns, alcoves, and quiet interiors.

### Pairs With

umbra
shadcn/ui theme
```json
{
  "$schema": "https://ui.shadcn.com/schema/registry-item.json",
  "name": "andon",
  "type": "registry:theme",
  "title": "Andon shadcn Theme",
  "cssVars": {
    "theme": {},
    "light": {
      "background": "#F5F0E7",
      "foreground": "#1C1712",
      "card": "#FBF8F1",
      "card-foreground": "#1C1712",
      "popover": "#FBF8F1",
      "popover-foreground": "#1C1712",
      "primary": "#1C1712",
      "primary-foreground": "#ffffff",
      "secondary": "#f4f4f5",
      "secondary-foreground": "#111111",
      "muted": "#6A6154",
      "muted-foreground": "#1C1712",
      "accent": "#C07A2B",
      "accent-foreground": "#ffffff",
      "destructive": "#8C3A2B",
      "border": "#E4DCCC",
      "input": "#E4DCCC",
      "ring": "#C07A2B",
      "chart-1": "#1C1712",
      "chart-2": "#f4f4f5",
      "chart-3": "#C07A2B",
      "chart-4": "#5E6B3C",
      "chart-5": "#9A6B22",
      "sidebar": "#FBF8F1",
      "sidebar-foreground": "#1C1712",
      "sidebar-primary": "#1C1712",
      "sidebar-primary-foreground": "#ffffff",
      "sidebar-accent": "#456068",
      "sidebar-accent-foreground": "#ffffff",
      "sidebar-border": "#E4DCCC",
      "sidebar-ring": "#C07A2B",
      "radius": "16px"
    },
    "dark": {
      "background": "#0f1115",
      "foreground": "#f8fafc",
      "card": "#181b22",
      "card-foreground": "#f8fafc",
      "popover": "#181b22",
      "popover-foreground": "#f8fafc",
      "primary": "#1C1712",
      "primary-foreground": "#ffffff",
      "secondary": "#252a33",
      "secondary-foreground": "#f8fafc",
      "muted": "#252a33",
      "muted-foreground": "#a1a1aa",
      "accent": "#C07A2B",
      "accent-foreground": "#ffffff",
      "destructive": "#8C3A2B",
      "border": "#303642",
      "input": "#303642",
      "ring": "#C07A2B",
      "chart-1": "#1C1712",
      "chart-2": "#f4f4f5",
      "chart-3": "#C07A2B",
      "chart-4": "#5E6B3C",
      "chart-5": "#9A6B22",
      "sidebar": "#181b22",
      "sidebar-foreground": "#f8fafc",
      "sidebar-primary": "#1C1712",
      "sidebar-primary-foreground": "#ffffff",
      "sidebar-accent": "#C07A2B",
      "sidebar-accent-foreground": "#ffffff",
      "sidebar-border": "#303642",
      "sidebar-ring": "#C07A2B",
      "radius": "16px"
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "source": "katagami",
    "languageId": "en-019f8af8-d1d6-7501-8b46-e22c51f016bd",
    "slug": "andon",
    "componentManifest": [
      "button",
      "card",
      "input",
      "textarea",
      "select",
      "dialog",
      "sheet",
      "tabs",
      "badge",
      "separator",
      "checkbox",
      "switch",
      "slider",
      "tooltip",
      "dropdown-menu",
      "table"
    ],
    "installCommand": "npx shadcn@latest add button card input textarea select dialog sheet tabs badge separator checkbox switch slider tooltip dropdown-menu table",
    "nativeTokenNames": {
      "colors": [
        "accent",
        "accent_2",
        "accent_soft",
        "bg",
        "border",
        "error",
        "info",
        "muted",
        "on_accent",
        "success",
        "surface",
        "surface_solid",
        "text",
        "warning"
      ],
      "typography": [
        "base_size",
        "body_font",
        "google_fonts_url",
        "heading_font",
        "heading_transform",
        "heading_weight",
        "letter_spacing",
        "line_height",
        "mono_font",
        "scale_ratio"
      ],
      "radii": [
        "full",
        "lg",
        "md",
        "none"
      ],
      "shadows": [
        "lg",
        "md",
        "sm"
      ],
      "spacing": [
        "base",
        "scale"
      ],
      "surfaces": [
        "bg_pattern",
        "card_style",
        "treatment"
      ],
      "borders": [
        "accent_width",
        "character",
        "default_width",
        "style"
      ],
      "motion": [
        "duration",
        "easing",
        "philosophy"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```
in the wild

embodiments

bespoke marketing landingopen full page ↗
landing · andon
DESIGN.md

at a glance

Typography

headline-lgShippori Mincho · 33px · 700

The quick brown fox jumps

headline-mdShippori Mincho · 27px · 600

The quick brown fox jumps

body-mdIBM Plex Sans · 17px · 400

The quick brown fox jumps

label-mdIBM Plex Mono · 12px · 600

The quick brown fox jumps

shadcn/ui

implementation kit

built with
Palette

Agent-generated

remix lane

try a remix

Keep Andonand swap a palette and an art style onto it — the landing & dashboard recolor live. The Studio does the same with all three lanes free.

UI language · fixed
Andon
Palette
Art style
Landing Page
live preview · recolored + filled
lineage

Family

related

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