About YouTube design system

---
version: alpha
name: About YouTube
description: "Light monochrome interface measured from about.youtube: YouTube Display type with Google Sans Text, tonal surfaces and 4px corners."
colors:
  background: "#FFFFFF"
  surface: "#FFFFFF"
  on-surface: "#5F6368"
  on-background: "#5F6368"
  on-surface-strong: "#212121"
  on-surface-variant: "#202124"
  surface-container-low: "#F2F2F2"
  primary: "#5F6368"
  on-primary: "#FFFFFF"
typography:
  headline-display:
    fontFamily: YouTube Display
    fontSize: 140px
    fontWeight: 800
    lineHeight: 0.9
    letterSpacing: -0.009em
  body-md:
    fontFamily: Google Sans Text
    fontSize: 16px
    fontWeight: 400
    lineHeight: 1.5
    letterSpacing: 0.006em
  body-lg:
    fontFamily: Google Sans Text
    fontSize: 18px
    fontWeight: 300
    lineHeight: 1.5
    letterSpacing: 0.006em
  label-md:
    fontFamily: Roboto
    fontSize: 16px
    fontWeight: 500
    lineHeight: 1.5
  headline-display-mobile:
    fontFamily: YouTube Display
    fontSize: 80px
    fontWeight: 800
    lineHeight: 0.9
    letterSpacing: -0.009em
rounded:
  sm: 4px
  md: 8px
  full: 9999px
spacing:
  xs: 2px
  sm: 8px
  md: 16px
  lg: 24px
  xl: 40px
  gutter: 8px
  container: 1296px
components:
  link:
    textColor: "{colors.primary}"
---

# About YouTube Design System

## Overview

About YouTube describes itself as: “YouTube's mission is to give everyone a voice and show them the world. Learn about our brand, community, careers and more.” The interface is light, built on **White (#FFFFFF)** with **Cool Slate (#5F6368)** text and almost no color: actions are carried by contrast, not hue.

Type is set in **YouTube Display** and **Google Sans Text**. Headlines run large with tight negative tracking; body text is 16px. The surface language is flat. Corners are mostly 4px.

Measured from [about.youtube](https://about.youtube/) on November 7, 2026 at 1440×900 and 390×844 from 113 rendered elements. Values are computed styles from the live page, not the original source files.

## Colors

The palette has 7 roles.

- **White (#FFFFFF):** Page background, seen 2 times. Token `background`.
- **Cool Slate (#5F6368):** Primary text and headings, seen 32 times. Token `on-surface`.
- **Charcoal (#212121):** Headings and emphasis, seen 7 times. Token `on-surface-strong`.
- **Charcoal (#202124):** Secondary text, seen 5 times. Token `on-surface-variant`, CSS `--lb-primitive-color_gray-900`.
- **Mist (#F2F2F2):** Raised areas one step from the page, seen 1 time. Token `surface-container-low`.
- **Cool Slate (#5F6368):** Primary actions (the main text color; the palette is monochrome), seen 32 times. Token `primary`.
- **White (#FFFFFF):** Text and icons on primary. Token `on-primary`.

## Typography

**YouTube Display**, **Google Sans Text** and **Roboto** share the interface. Fallback stack: `YouTube Display, Roboto, sans-serif`.

- **headline-display:** YouTube Display 140px at weight 800, line height 0.9, tracking -0.009em (80px on mobile). Page title (h1).
- **body-md:** Google Sans Text 16px at weight 400, line height 1.5, tracking 0.006em. Body text.
- **body-lg:** Google Sans Text 18px at weight 300, line height 1.5, tracking 0.006em. Lead paragraphs.
- **label-md:** Roboto 16px at weight 500, line height 1.5. Buttons, navigation and labels.

## Layout

Spacing is mostly on a 4px grid (87% of measured values), with some off-grid steps. Match the measured scale rather than rounding everything.

- **Scale:** xs 2px, sm 8px, md 16px, lg 24px, xl 40px.
- **Gaps:** 8px is the most common gap in flex and grid layouts.
- **Container:** content is capped at 1296px.

## Elevation & Depth

The design is flat: no shadows were measured. Hierarchy comes from tonal surface steps (#F2F2F2).

## Shapes

Most elements use 4px corners. Measured radii, most used first:

- **sm (4px):** 136 elements.
- **md (8px):** 16 elements.
- **full (9999px):** 12 elements.

## Components

Measured from the rendered page. Token values reference the tokens above.

- **link:** transparent fill, #5F6368 text, padding 0px.

## Do's and Don'ts

- Do use #FFFFFF for the page and lift surfaces in small steps: #F2F2F2.
- Do keep text in 3 levels: #5F6368, #212121, #202124.
- Do let contrast carry emphasis; primary actions use #5F6368 on #FFFFFF.
- Do set headlines in YouTube Display with tight tracking (-0.009em).
- Do reuse the measured spacing steps (8px, 16px, 24px).
- Do use 4px corners on most elements; larger surfaces also use 8px.
- Don't add drop shadows for depth; use tonal surfaces.
- Don't introduce new font families beyond YouTube Display, Google Sans Text and Roboto.
- Don't add saturated accent colors; the measured palette is almost entirely neutral.
- Don't make interface transitions slower than 0.3s.

## Motion

Interface transitions are quick: 0.2s, 0.3s.

- **Easing:** `ease`.

Generated by [Sitepeel](https://sitepeel.dev/design-md/about.youtube/), the free DESIGN.md generator (engine 2026.10.29+b828a475ee10).