Primer, on Ark UI
A code-forward design system: functional density, blue-on-white precision, hairline borders instead of negative space. Tokens are CSS variables remapped by one data-theme attribute, so every component themes itself.
Color
Semantic tokens only. A component never names a hex value or a raw scale step.
Canvas
canvas-defaultcanvas-subtlecanvas-insetcanvas-overlayForeground
fg-defaultfg-mutedfg-subtleBorder
border-defaultborder-mutedborder-subtleAccent
accent-fgaccent-emphasisaccent-mutedaccent-subtleSuccess
success-fgsuccess-emphasissuccess-mutedsuccess-subtleDanger
danger-fgdanger-emphasisdanger-muteddanger-subtleAttention
attention-fgattention-emphasisattention-mutedattention-subtleDone & Sponsors
done-fgdone-emphasissponsors-fgsponsors-subtleTypography
System fonts always — no webfont for chrome. Weight is binary: 400, or 600 for emphasis.
text-4xl32px / 600 / -0.01emtext-2xl24px / 600text-xl20px / 600text-lg16px / 600text-base14px / 400 — the defaulttext-xs12px / 400git rebase --onto main featurefont-mono12px SFMono — code and diffsShape & depth
Hairline borders define panes; shadow is reserved for things that actually float.
Radius
rounded-smrounded-mdrounded-lgrounded-xlrounded-fullElevation
shadow-xsshadow-btnshadow-mdshadow-overlaySpace & motion
A 4px grid, a 1280px page, and animation short enough to go unnoticed.
Spacing — 4px base unit
p-14pxp-28pxp-312pxp-416pxp-520pxp-624pxp-832pxp-1040pxp-1248pxMotion
duration-80 ease-out /* hover, press, color */ duration-200 ease-out /* menu / dialog / popover open */ duration-120 ease-in /* close */ /* Avoided: page-load animation, parallax, persistent micro-interactions. Things appear; they do not perform. */
Actions
Buttons, links, and the icon affordances that sit on a row.
Button
5 variants · 3 sizesStatus
Pills carry state; color is load-bearing and always paired with a word.
Label, StateLabel, Counter
Messaging
Banners report the result of an action on a tinted surface.
Flash
main.Forms
Every control shares one 32px rhythm and one focus treatment.
Forms
Overlays
Dialog, popover, menu, and toast — all on the overlay surface.
Overlays
Disclosure & feedback
Accordion, progress, spinner.
Accordion
Progress
Spinner — sm, md
Cards
A container, never a control — the card groups content and the controls inside it take the hover and focus.
primer/react
GitHub's design system implemented as React components for building consistent user interfaces.
'/%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Design system refresh
CardImage bleeds through the card's padding, so artwork meets the border on three sides without a wrapper.
primer/octicons
Updated 2 hours agogithub/docs
Updated yesterdaysolidjs/solid
Updated 3 days ago
Density
The pattern the whole system exists to serve: a hundred scannable rows.
Issues
3Import
import { Button, Box, BoxHeader, Label } from '~/components/ui'Style with tokens, never hexes
// yes — re-themes itself <div class="border border-border-default bg-canvas-subtle text-fg-muted" /> // no — pinned to the light theme <div class="border-[#d0d7de] bg-[#f6f8fa] text-[#656d76]" />
Override any component's classes
Every wrapper merges your class last through tailwind-merge, so a conflicting utility wins instead of fighting the recipe.
<Button variant="primary" class="w-full rounded-full">Merge</Button>
Ark props pass straight through
<Field invalid={hasError()}>
<FieldLabel>Branch<FieldRequired>*</FieldRequired></FieldLabel>
<TextInput value={branch()} onInput={(e) => setBranch(e.currentTarget.value)} />
<FieldErrorText>Branch names cannot contain spaces.</FieldErrorText>
</Field>Ark UI is headless: it owns behaviour, state machines, and accessibility; this layer only supplies Tailwind classes keyed on Ark's data-* attributes.