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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
- Design Philosophy
- Color System
- Typography
- Spacing & Layout
- Components
- Screen Specifications
- PDF Template Specifications
- Responsive Behavior
- Accessibility
1. Design Philosophy
Core Principles
| Principle | Implementation |
|---|
| Minimal | No unnecessary decoration. Every element serves a purpose. Clean lines, ample whitespace. |
| Brand-Neutral | Design must not clash with any agency’s brand. Avoid strong stylistic choices. |
| Professional | This is B2B SaaS for agencies. No playful elements. Sophisticated and trustworthy. |
| Flexible | Must 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
| Name | Size | Weight | Line Height | Use |
|---|
display | 36px | 600 | 1.2 | Page titles |
h1 | 28px | 600 | 1.3 | Section headers |
h2 | 22px | 600 | 1.35 | Sub-section headers |
h3 | 18px | 600 | 1.4 | Card titles |
h4 | 16px | 600 | 1.4 | Small headers |
body | 14px | 400 | 1.6 | Default text |
body-sm | 13px | 400 | 1.5 | Secondary text |
caption | 12px | 400 | 1.4 | Labels, hints |
overline | 11px | 500 | 1.3 | Category 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
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)
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)
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
| Component | Status |
|---|
| 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 | ◯ |