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A design system built for speed, clarity, and focus. Inspired by Zed's aesthetic philosophy.

This design system is my interpretation of what makes software feel fast, intentional, and effortless.

Drawing heavy inspiration from Zed, I wanted to capture that sense of speed and focus that great tools have. Every choice here, from color contrast to typography weight—is designed to get out of your way while still feeling distinctly crafted.

Colors

brodin/ui ships with two carefully tuned themes: black and blue. Both prioritize high contrast and visual clarity over decorative flourishes.

--main-background

Root page background

--background

Primary background

--foreground

Primary text color

--primary

Primary brand color

--primary-foreground

Text on primary

--primary-fixed

Fixed primary color

--primary-foreground-fixed

Text on primary fixed

--secondary

Secondary elements

--secondary-foreground

Text on secondary

--accent

Accent elements

--accent-foreground

Text on accent

The black theme is my default, sharp, focused, and designed for long coding sessions without eye strain. The blue theme offers a softer alternative while maintaining the same level of contrast and readability.

Typography

Typography is where personality meets function. I use two fonts that complement each other perfectly:

iA Writer Quattro was designed specifically for digital reading and writing. It's clean, highly legible, and doesn't fight for attention. Lora provides just enough personality for headings and highlights without feeling ornamental.

Together, they create a hierarchy that guides the eye naturally through your interface, making complex information feel approachable.

Every project is using one of these hand picked icons as the project logo. I found those icons on Figma, but the file lil shapes - 2023.4 (Community) is not available anymore.

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Design Philosophy

Every component in this system follows three core principles:

Speed First: Nothing should feel sluggish or hesitant. Animations are snappy, transitions are purposeful, and loading states are designed to maintain momentum.

Clarity Over Decoration: Visual elements serve the content, not the other way around. High contrast, generous whitespace, and deliberate hierarchy make interfaces scannable at speed.

Consistent but Flexible: Components work together as a cohesive system while remaining customizable enough to adapt to different contexts and needs.

This philosophy extends beyond individual components to the overall experience of building with this system. The CLI is fast, the setup is minimal, and the code is transparent, just like the interfaces it helps you create.


Every element has been tested in real projects, refined through daily use, and designed to age well as your applications grow and evolve.