U Saran Raj design system

---
version: alpha
name: U Saran Raj
description: "Dark monochrome interface measured from saranraj-portfolio-two.vercel.app: Instrument Serif type with Geist Sans, flat surfaces and 24px corners."
colors:
  background: "#05070D"
  surface: "#05070D"
  on-surface: "#F1EEE9"
  on-background: "#F1EEE9"
  on-surface-variant: "#C2C0BD"
  on-surface-muted: "#ABA9A7"
  on-surface-subtle: "#808693"
  overlay: "#0C0F1766"
  overlay-strong: "#FFFFFF14"
  outline: "#FFFFFF14"
  outline-variant: "#7C5CFF66"
  primary: "#F1EEE9"
  on-primary: "#05070D"
  secondary: "#21D3B7"
  tertiary: "#7C5CFF"
typography:
  headline-display:
    fontFamily: Instrument Serif
    fontSize: 187px
    fontWeight: 400
    lineHeight: 0.85
    letterSpacing: -0.03em
  headline-lg:
    fontFamily: Instrument Serif
    fontSize: 96px
    fontWeight: 400
    lineHeight: 0.9
    letterSpacing: -0.02em
  headline-md:
    fontFamily: Instrument Serif
    fontSize: 72px
    fontWeight: 400
    lineHeight: 0.9
    letterSpacing: -0.02em
  headline-sm:
    fontFamily: Instrument Serif
    fontSize: 60px
    fontWeight: 400
    lineHeight: 0.95
    letterSpacing: -0.02em
  title-lg:
    fontFamily: Instrument Serif
    fontSize: 48px
    fontWeight: 400
    lineHeight: 0.9
    letterSpacing: -0.02em
  body-md:
    fontFamily: Geist Sans
    fontSize: 16px
    fontWeight: 400
    lineHeight: 1.5
  body-lg:
    fontFamily: Geist Sans
    fontSize: 18px
    fontWeight: 300
    lineHeight: 1.56
  body-sm:
    fontFamily: Geist Sans
    fontSize: 14px
    fontWeight: 400
    lineHeight: 1.63
  code:
    fontFamily: Geist Mono
    fontSize: 9.5px
    fontWeight: 400
    lineHeight: 1.5
  headline-display-mobile:
    fontFamily: Instrument Serif
    fontSize: 64px
    fontWeight: 400
    lineHeight: 0.85
    letterSpacing: -0.03em
  headline-lg-mobile:
    fontFamily: Instrument Serif
    fontSize: 60px
    fontWeight: 400
    lineHeight: 0.9
    letterSpacing: -0.02em
  title-lg-mobile:
    fontFamily: Instrument Serif
    fontSize: 36px
    fontWeight: 400
    lineHeight: 0.9
    letterSpacing: -0.02em
rounded:
  sm: 4px
  md: 16px
  lg: 24px
spacing:
  xs: 2px
  sm: 6px
  md: 12px
  lg: 32px
  xl: 48px
  gutter: 12px
  section: 160px
components:
  button-primary:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.primary}"
    textColor: "{colors.on-primary}"
    padding: 16px 28px
    height: 48px
  button-ghost:
    padding: 4px 12px
  link:
    textColor: "{colors.on-surface-variant}"
---

# U Saran Raj Design System

## Overview

U Saran Raj describes itself as: “Portfolio of U Saran Raj — AI/ML researcher building robust, fair, and explainable systems. Featured work: Thenali AI, Voice Guardian, SilentBias.” The interface is dark, built on **Near Black (#05070D)** with **Warm Mist (#F1EEE9)** text and almost no color: actions are carried by contrast, not hue.

Type is set in **Instrument Serif** and **Geist Sans**, with **Geist Mono** for code. Headlines run large with tight negative tracking; body text is 16px. Depth comes from hairline borders and inset highlights rather than drop shadows. Corners are mostly 24px.

Measured from [saranraj-portfolio-two.vercel.app](https://saranraj-portfolio-two.vercel.app/) on November 5, 2026 at 1440×900 and 390×844 from 294 rendered elements. Values are computed styles from the live page, not the original source files.

## Colors

The palette has 13 roles, plus gradient stops #21D3B7, #7C5CFF.

- **Near Black (#05070D):** Page background, seen 3 times. Token `background`.
- **Warm Mist (#F1EEE9):** Primary text and headings, seen 45 times. Token `on-surface`.
- **Silver (#C2C0BD):** Secondary text, seen 39 times. Token `on-surface-variant`.
- **Gray (#ABA9A7):** Muted text and metadata, seen 10 times. Token `on-surface-muted`.
- **Cool Gray (#808693):** Subtle text and placeholders, seen 29 times. Token `on-surface-subtle`.
- **Cool Charcoal 40% (#0C0F1766):** Translucent fill for cards and controls, seen 5 times. Token `overlay`.
- **White 8% (#FFFFFF14):** Stronger translucent fill, seen 4 times. Token `overlay-strong`.
- **White 8% (#FFFFFF14):** Borders and dividers, seen 67 times. Token `outline`.
- **Indigo 40% (#7C5CFF66):** Secondary dividers, seen 1 time. Token `outline-variant`.
- **Warm Mist (#F1EEE9):** Primary buttons and calls to action, seen 46 times. Token `primary`.
- **Near Black (#05070D):** Text and icons on primary. Token `on-primary`.
- **Teal (#21D3B7):** Accent in text, fills and borders, seen 24 times. Token `secondary`.
- **Indigo (#7C5CFF):** Accent in text, fills and borders, seen 10 times. Token `tertiary`.

## Typography

**Instrument Serif**, **Geist Sans** and **Geist Mono** (monospace) share the interface. Fallback stack: `Instrument Serif, ui-serif, Georgia, serif`.

- **headline-display:** Instrument Serif 187px at weight 400, line height 0.85, tracking -0.03em (64px on mobile). Page title (h1).
- **headline-lg:** Instrument Serif 96px at weight 400, line height 0.9, tracking -0.02em (60px on mobile). Section headings (h2).
- **headline-md:** Instrument Serif 72px at weight 400, line height 0.9, tracking -0.02em. Sub-section headings.
- **headline-sm:** Instrument Serif 60px at weight 400, line height 0.95, tracking -0.02em. Card and feature titles.
- **title-lg:** Instrument Serif 48px at weight 400, line height 0.9, tracking -0.02em (36px on mobile). Small titles.
- **body-md:** Geist Sans 16px at weight 400, line height 1.5. Body text.
- **body-lg:** Geist Sans 18px at weight 300, line height 1.56. Lead paragraphs.
- **body-sm:** Geist Sans 14px at weight 400, line height 1.63. Secondary and small text.
- **code:** Geist Mono 9.5px at weight 400, line height 1.5. Code and technical values.

## Layout

Spacing does not follow a strict grid: 61% of measured values are multiples of 4px, so match the measured steps rather than rounding to a grid.

- **Scale:** xs 2px, sm 6px, md 12px, lg 32px, xl 48px.
- **Sections:** 160px vertical padding between major sections.
- **Gaps:** 12px is the most common gap in flex and grid layouts.
- **Breakpoints:** 600px.

## Elevation & Depth

The design avoids drop shadows. Layers are separated by tonal surface steps and hairline rings:

- `oklab(0.7782 -0.13793 0.00440692 / 0.43165) 0px 0px 0px 2.24467px`

## Shapes

Most elements use 24px corners. Measured radii, most used first:

- **lg (24px):** 20 elements.
- **sm (4px):** 4 elements.
- **md (16px):** 4 elements.

## Components

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

- **button-primary (“VIEW SELECTED WORK →”):** #F1EEE9 fill, #05070D text, 12px/400, 3.35544e+07px radius, padding 16px 28px.
- **button-ghost (“BEFORE / AFTER”):** transparent fill, 10px/400, 3.35544e+07px radius, padding 4px 12px.
- **link:** transparent fill, #F1EEE9CC text, padding 0px.

## Do's and Don'ts

- Do use #05070D for the page.
- Do keep text in 4 levels: #F1EEE9, #C2C0BD, #ABA9A7, #808693.
- Do let contrast carry emphasis; primary actions use #F1EEE9 on #05070D.
- Do set headlines in Instrument Serif with tight tracking (-0.03em).
- Do reuse the measured spacing steps (6px, 12px, 32px).
- Do use 24px corners on most elements; larger surfaces also use 4px and 16px.
- Don't add drop shadows for depth; use hairline rings and borders and contrast.
- Don't introduce new font families beyond Instrument Serif, Geist Sans and Geist Mono.
- Don't add saturated accent colors; the measured palette is almost entirely neutral.
- Don't make interface transitions slower than 0.5s.

## Motion

Interface transitions are quick: 0.15s, 0.5s. Longer ambient animations run 2s.

- **Easing:** `cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1)`, `ease-in-out`, `cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.6, 1)`.
- **Reduced motion:** the page responds to `prefers-reduced-motion`.

Generated by [Sitepeel](https://sitepeel.dev/design-md/saranraj-portfolio-two.vercel.app/), the free DESIGN.md generator (engine 2026.10.29+b828a475ee10).