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Content Strategist AI

Design Specifications

Version: 1.0
Last Updated: January 2, 2026
Design Owner: Manual Design (Google AI Studio conversion)

Table of Contents

  1. Design Philosophy
  2. Color System
  3. Typography
  4. Spacing & Layout
  5. Components
  6. Screen Specifications
  7. PDF Template Specifications
  8. Responsive Behavior
  9. Accessibility

1. Design Philosophy

Core Principles

PrincipleImplementation
MinimalNo unnecessary decoration. Every element serves a purpose. Clean lines, ample whitespace.
Brand-NeutralDesign must not clash with any agency’s brand. Avoid strong stylistic choices.
ProfessionalThis is B2B SaaS for agencies. No playful elements. Sophisticated and trustworthy.
FlexibleMust look good in light mode, dark mode, and with any accent color combination.

Design Constraints

  • No rounded corners greater than 8px (keeps it professional)
  • No gradients in UI (save for PDFs and subtle hover states)
  • No shadows heavier than 0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.1)
  • No animations longer than 300ms
  • Icons: Outline style only (Lucide, Heroicons, or similar)

2. Color System

Base Modes

Light Mode (Default)
--bg-primary: #FFFFFF;
--bg-secondary: #F8F9FA;
--bg-tertiary: #F0F1F3;
--text-primary: #1A1A1A;
--text-secondary: #6B7280;
--text-tertiary: #9CA3AF;
--border-default: #E5E7EB;
--border-strong: #D1D5DB;
Dark Mode
--bg-primary: #0F0F0F;
--bg-secondary: #1A1A1A;
--bg-tertiary: #262626;
--text-primary: #FFFFFF;
--text-secondary: #A1A1AA;
--text-tertiary: #71717A;
--border-default: #27272A;
--border-strong: #3F3F46;

Accent Colors (Customizable)

Each white-label instance has 3 accent colors:
/* Default (Oxford Pierpont example) */
--accent-1: #1A1A1A;     /* Primary actions, headers */
--accent-2: #6B7280;     /* Secondary elements */
--accent-3: #3B82F6;     /* Highlights, links */

/* Alternative example (Blue/Gold brand) */
--accent-1: #1a4a6e;     /* Primary */
--accent-2: #b8860b;     /* Secondary/Gold */
--accent-3: #2980b9;     /* Highlight */

Semantic Colors (Fixed)

--success: #10B981;
--success-bg: #ECFDF5;
--warning: #F59E0B;
--warning-bg: #FFFBEB;
--error: #EF4444;
--error-bg: #FEF2F2;
--info: #3B82F6;
--info-bg: #EFF6FF;

3. Typography

Font Stack

/* Primary (UI) */
--font-sans: 'Inter', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;

/* Secondary (Headings in PDFs) */
--font-serif: 'Playfair Display', Georgia, serif;

/* Monospace (Code, data) */
--font-mono: 'JetBrains Mono', 'Fira Code', monospace;

Type Scale

NameSizeWeightLine HeightUse
display36px6001.2Page titles
h128px6001.3Section headers
h222px6001.35Sub-section headers
h318px6001.4Card titles
h416px6001.4Small headers
body14px4001.6Default text
body-sm13px4001.5Secondary text
caption12px4001.4Labels, hints
overline11px5001.3Category labels (uppercase)

4. Spacing & Layout

Spacing Scale

--space-1: 4px;
--space-2: 8px;
--space-3: 12px;
--space-4: 16px;
--space-5: 20px;
--space-6: 24px;
--space-8: 32px;
--space-10: 40px;
--space-12: 48px;
--space-16: 64px;

Layout Widths

--width-narrow: 480px;    /* Forms, modals */
--width-medium: 720px;    /* Content areas */
--width-wide: 1024px;     /* Dashboard panels */
--width-full: 1280px;     /* Maximum content width */

Grid System

  • 12-column grid
  • Gutter: 24px
  • Margins: 24px (mobile), 48px (desktop)

5. Components

5.1 Buttons

Primary Button
Background: var(--accent-1)
Text: White (or contrasting)
Padding: 12px 24px
Border-radius: 6px
Font: 14px/500
Hover: 10% darker
Active: 15% darker
Disabled: 50% opacity
Secondary Button
Background: transparent
Border: 1px solid var(--border-strong)
Text: var(--text-primary)
Padding: 12px 24px
Border-radius: 6px
Hover: var(--bg-secondary)
Ghost Button
Background: transparent
Text: var(--text-secondary)
Padding: 12px 24px
Hover: var(--bg-secondary)

5.2 Inputs

Text Input
Background: var(--bg-primary)
Border: 1px solid var(--border-default)
Border-radius: 6px
Padding: 12px 16px
Font: 14px
Focus: border-color var(--accent-3), ring 2px var(--accent-3) at 20% opacity
Error: border-color var(--error)
Select/Dropdown
Same as text input
Chevron icon on right
Dropdown: var(--bg-primary), shadow, max-height 300px
Textarea
Same as text input
Min-height: 120px
Resize: vertical only

5.3 Cards

Default Card
Background: var(--bg-primary)
Border: 1px solid var(--border-default)
Border-radius: 8px
Padding: 24px
Interactive Card (Clickable)
Same as default
Hover: border-color var(--border-strong), subtle lift shadow
Cursor: pointer

5.4 Tables

Client List Table
Header row:
  Background: var(--bg-secondary)
  Text: var(--text-secondary), 12px, uppercase, 500
  Padding: 12px 16px

Body rows:
  Background: var(--bg-primary)
  Border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border-default)
  Padding: 16px
  Hover: var(--bg-secondary)
  
Columns:
  Company: Primary text, 14px/500
  Contact: Secondary text, 14px/400
  Phone: Secondary text, 14px/400
  Action: Ghost button "View Dashboard →"

5.5 Status Badges

Pending:    bg var(--bg-tertiary), text var(--text-secondary)
Generating: bg var(--info-bg), text var(--info), animated pulse
Ready:      bg var(--success-bg), text var(--success)
Distributed:bg var(--accent-3) at 10%, text var(--accent-3)
Failed:     bg var(--error-bg), text var(--error)

5.6 Progress Indicator

Generation Steps List
Container: Vertical list, gap 8px

Step item (pending):
  Circle: 24px, border 2px var(--border-default), text var(--text-tertiary)
  Label: var(--text-tertiary)
  
Step item (active):
  Circle: 24px, bg var(--accent-3), spinner inside
  Label: var(--text-primary), font-weight 500
  Detail: var(--text-secondary), 13px
  
Step item (complete):
  Circle: 24px, bg var(--success), checkmark icon white
  Label: var(--success)
Progress Bar
Track: height 4px, bg var(--bg-tertiary), border-radius 2px
Fill: bg var(--accent-3), transition width 300ms ease

5.7 Logo Placement

Horizontal Logo
  • Max height: 40px
  • Used in: Navigation header
Square/Vertical Logo
  • Max dimension: 48px × 48px
  • Used in: Mobile nav, favicon
Round Logo
  • Diameter: 32px - 48px
  • Used in: User avatars, compact displays

6. Screen Specifications

6.1 Login Screen

Layout: Centered card on full-screen background

Background: 
  Light mode: var(--bg-secondary)
  Dark mode: var(--bg-primary)

Card:
  Width: 400px
  Padding: 48px
  
Content:
  1. Logo (horizontal, centered, mb-32)
  2. Heading "Sign In" (h2, mb-24)
  3. Email input (mb-16)
  4. Password input (mb-24)
  5. Primary button "Sign In" (full width)
  6. "Forgot password?" link (caption, centered, mt-16)

6.2 Agency Dashboard (Client List)

Layout: Full width with max-width container

Header:
  Height: 64px
  Left: Logo (horizontal)
  Right: Settings icon, User avatar dropdown
  Border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border-default)

Main content:
  Padding-top: 32px
  
  Title section:
    h1: "Your Clients"
    Subtitle: "Select a client to view their dashboard"
    Gap: 8px
    Margin-bottom: 24px
  
  Client table:
    Full width
    Columns: Company (40%), Contact (25%), Phone (20%), Action (15%)
    Rows: Hover state, click anywhere to view dashboard

6.3 Client Dashboard

Layout: Two-column (sidebar + main)

Sidebar (280px fixed):
  Background: var(--bg-secondary)
  Padding: 24px
  
  Content:
    1. Client logo (centered, mb-24)
    2. Client name (h3, centered, mb-4)
    3. Industry badge (caption, centered, mb-24)
    4. Divider
    5. Config summary:
       - Website (linked)
       - Related services (tags)
       - Default tone
       - Keywords (if set)
    6. "Edit Settings" button (secondary, full width, bottom)

Main content:
  Padding: 32px
  
  Header:
    Title: "Content Library"
    Right: "Generate New" primary button
    Margin-bottom: 24px
  
  Content list:
    Vertical stack, gap 16px
    
    Document card:
      Horizontal layout
      Left: Cover thumbnail (80px × 104px, aspect 8.5:11)
      Middle:
        Title (h4)
        Topic (body-sm, text-secondary)
        Timestamps (caption): "Created Jan 2 • Distributed Jan 3"
      Right:
        Status badge
        "..." menu (View, Download, Distribute, Delete)

6.4 Generation Input Screen

Layout: Centered form, max-width 600px

Card:
  Padding: 32px
  
Content:
  1. Heading "Create New Content" (h2, mb-8)
  2. Subtitle "Fill in the details below" (body-sm, text-secondary, mb-32)
  
  Form fields (gap 24px):
    
    Topic (required):
      Label: "What topic should we cover?"
      Input: Text, placeholder "e.g., AI implementation strategies for mid-market companies"
    
    Industry:
      Label: "Target Industry"
      Input: Text (NOT dropdown), placeholder "Enter your industry"
    
    Related Services:
      Label: "Related Services"
      Input: Tag input, placeholder "Add services this content should promote"
      Helper: "Press Enter to add"
    
    Keywords (optional):
      Label: "Target Keywords"
      Input: Tag input, placeholder "Add keywords (optional)"
      Helper: "AI will research additional keywords automatically"
    
    Custom Direction (optional):
      Label: "What's your idea? Tell me what you want to talk about"
      Input: Textarea, placeholder "Provide any specific direction, angles, or points to cover..."
      Helper: "Leave blank to let AI determine the best approach"
    
    Tone:
      Label: "Content Tone"
      Input: 3-option selector (cards, not dropdown)
        - Professional (icon: briefcase)
        - Casual Blog (icon: message-circle)
        - Authoritative (icon: award)
      Default: Professional
    
    Anything Else (optional):
      Label: "Anything else we should know?"
      Input: Textarea, smaller
    
    Template (if applicable):
      Label: "Design Template"
      Input: Horizontal scrolling cards with template previews
      Shows: Template name, thumbnail
    
  Submit:
    Primary button "Generate Content" (full width)
    Helper text: "Generation typically takes 2-3 minutes"

6.5 Generation Progress Screen

Layout: Centered, max-width 500px

Content:
  1. Heading "Creating Your Content" (h2, centered, mb-8)
  2. Topic display (body, text-secondary, centered, in quotes, mb-32)
  
  Progress section:
    Progress bar (full width, mb-24)
    Progress text: "45% complete" (caption, right-aligned, mb-24)
    
    Steps list:
      Vertical, each step 48px height
      10 steps as defined in PRD
      Current step: Expanded with detail text
      Completed steps: Collapsed, checkmark
      Pending steps: Collapsed, grayed out
  
  Footer:
    "Estimated time remaining: ~90 seconds" (caption, centered, mt-32)

6.6 Generation Output/Preview Screen

Layout: Two-column (preview + actions)

Left column (60%):
  PDF Preview:
    Aspect ratio container (8.5:11)
    Background: White
    Shadow: Medium
    Border-radius: 4px
    
    Preview controls (below):
      Page navigation: "< Page 1 of 7 >"
      Zoom controls: +/-
  
Right column (40%):
  Card stack (gap 16px):
    
    Summary card:
      Title: "Content Summary"
      Content:
        - Document title
        - Section list (bulleted)
        - Stats: Pages, Read time
    
    Statistics card:
      Title: "Key Statistics Included"
      Content: Checklist of stats found
    
    Actions:
      Primary button: "Distribute" (with share icon)
      Secondary button: "Edit Content" (with edit icon)
      Ghost button: "Download PDF" (with download icon)
      Ghost button: "Regenerate" (with refresh icon)
    
    Quick Distribute card:
      Title: "Quick Distribute"
      Content: Platform toggle buttons
        - LinkedIn (toggle)
        - Facebook (toggle)
        - Twitter (toggle)
        - Google Business (toggle)
      All default to ON if OAuth configured

6.7 Settings Screen (Agency)

Layout: Sidebar navigation + main content

Sidebar (200px):
  Navigation links:
    - Branding (active)
    - Team Members
    - API Keys
    - Templates
    - Billing

Main content:
  Max-width: 720px
  Padding: 32px
  
  Branding section:
    h2: "Branding"
    
    Sub-sections:
    
    1. Logos
       - Horizontal logo upload (drag-drop or click)
       - Vertical logo upload
       - Round logo upload
       Preview of each with delete option
    
    2. Colors
       - Color mode toggle: Light / Dark
       - Accent color 1 picker + hex input
       - Accent color 2 picker + hex input
       - Accent color 3 picker + hex input
       Live preview panel showing sample UI elements
    
    3. Company Info
       - Company name input
       - Website URL input
       - Footer text textarea
       
    4. Social Accounts
       - LinkedIn page URL
       - Facebook page URL
       - Twitter handle
       - Google Business URL
    
    Save button (primary, sticky footer)

7. PDF Template Specifications

7.1 Page Dimensions

Size: US Letter (8.5" × 11" / 612pt × 792pt)
Margins: 0 (full bleed design)
Safe area: 0.5" from edges for critical content

7.2 PDF Color Mapping

Client accent-1 → Primary headers, cover overlay, footer
Client accent-2 → Secondary highlights, callout accents
Client accent-3 → Subheadings, links, chart colors

7.3 PDF Typography

Headings: Playfair Display
  - Document title: 42pt
  - Section title: 26pt
  - Subsection: 14pt
  
Body: Source Sans Pro
  - Body text: 11pt
  - Captions: 9pt
  - Footer: 9pt
  
Statistics: Playfair Display
  - Large numbers: 36pt
  - Labels: 9pt

7.4 Required PDF Elements

Cover Page:
  • Full-bleed background (image or color)
  • Title overlay bar (accent-1 background)
  • Document title
  • Subtitle
  • Client logo (bottom right)
Content Pages:
  • Decorative left border (pattern or solid)
  • Section headers with underline accent
  • Body content area
  • Callout boxes (accent background)
  • Footer with logo and page number
Data Visualizations:
  • Bar charts (horizontal)
  • Stat callout boxes
  • Comparison tables
  • Pull quotes

8. Responsive Behavior

Breakpoints

--mobile: 0 - 639px
--tablet: 640px - 1023px
--desktop: 1024px+

Key Adaptations

Mobile:
  • Single column layout
  • Hamburger menu
  • Full-width cards
  • Stacked form fields
  • Bottom sheet modals
Tablet:
  • Two-column where appropriate
  • Sidebar collapses to icons
  • Tables scroll horizontally
Desktop:
  • Full multi-column layouts
  • Expanded sidebar
  • Hover states enabled

9. Accessibility

Requirements

  • WCAG 2.1 AA compliance
  • Minimum contrast ratio: 4.5:1 for text
  • Focus indicators on all interactive elements
  • Screen reader labels for icons
  • Keyboard navigation support
  • No color-only status indicators

Focus States

:focus-visible {
  outline: 2px solid var(--accent-3);
  outline-offset: 2px;
}

Appendix: Component Checklist

ComponentStatus
Button (Primary)
Button (Secondary)
Button (Ghost)
Text Input
Textarea
Select
Tag Input
Card
Table
Status Badge
Progress Bar
Step Indicator
Modal
Dropdown Menu
Toggle
Color Picker
File Upload
Navigation Header
Sidebar
PDF Preview
Toast Notification
Last modified on April 18, 2026